The Other Side of the Story
by Rand-chan
Summary: “Say you love me,” he whispered teasingly into my ear. “N..no! N..never!” I managed to splutter before he tickled me harder.
1. What Have I got Myself Into?

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the prototype. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings:** Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating:** T for mild swearing

**Quick AN:** This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"

* * *

**Prologue**

The building started crumbling around me. The air was full of dust and sediment deposited by the ceiling, urging me to escape while I still can. I couldn't believe how much power he had to collapse buildings 20 to 30 miles away from where he actually was. I hate to even think about how things are where his main influence was.

Suddenly, I heard a groan from up above. I looked up with a grim expression.

"Reine! We have to go! The building's about to collapse any second!"

I took one final look at the television screen, watching the mass chaos take place in the beystadium, and hurried through the now disfigured opening leading to safety and freedom. A distant sound, like the roar of thunder, filled my ears mere feet away from the entrance.

"Come on…. We can make it."

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw Eris panting by my side as we neared the entrance. A strangled sound of despair escape my throat when I realized the building was going to give before. The building swayed and gave a final wallowing groan before collapsing into a rubble heap on us. I heard an earsplitting sound of collapsing concrete before darkness enveloped me.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – What Have I Got Myself Into?**

**Reine's POV**

The blobs of students passing me turned to background fuzz as I glanced around me with disinterest. It's been 3 months since the BEGA incident and everything is almost back to normal. ALMOST being the key word here. Eris and I had been buried alive for 30 hours after the collapse of our house on Tanako Street and we suffered severe concussions as well as a couple of broken bones. It was surprising that we didn't suffocate to death. Most people would've but I guess we had guardian spirits looking out for us, but I don't want to believe in stuff like that anymore, not since I witnessed the uncontrollable, impalpable power of Zeus, one of BEGA's mighty bitbeasts. Zeus was intent on darkness and pain, he was warped and power hungry. What if our guardian spirits were like that? I hate to consider what would happen.

"Heellooo? Earth to Reine! Anyone in there?"

"Huh? Wha?"

I shook out of my mental debate and saw Eris waving her hand in front of my face.

"I've been calling your name for the past 30 seconds! Where were you? Mars?"

I just shrugged at her. It was too early in the morning for her to be this happy and hyper. I think she suffered the worst concussion of both of us since she seems even more bubbly-headed than even before the disaster. I think it's due to the lack of brain cells. She must have lost some of the last brain cells that were still alive and functioning in that skull of hers.

I sighed. I shouldn't be thinking of my twin sister like that. After all, we are identical twins, although you could probably tell just by looking. Even though we look alike, our personalities couldn't be anymore different. She was loud, easy going, cheerful, and always has a comment on whatever you say. Me, on the other hand, I only spoke if I needed to. I'm labeled as introverted, keeping to myself or buried in a book, the kind of person you would come to for advice.

"God Reine! You're impossible. Whatever you're thinking about, snap out of it because we just arrived at school!"

I stared blankly after Eris as she ran to meet Toji, the last of our trio. We all grew up together so we knew each other the best. We never drifted apart and I hope it stays that way. I stuffed headphones over my ears as I sauntered back over to them, J-pop and J-rock blasting at my eardrums. This will be a long day.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Reine sauntered into the courtyard full of kids as she headed for a bench in the shade of a sakura tree. Eris and Toji went over and joined her, talking about whatever popped into their minds. Currently, it was about beyblading.

"I wish I had a bitbeast! It would be so cool!"

Reine cracked open an eyelid at the sound of her twin's voice and grunted in annoyance. Her voice can penetrate the barrier of loud music blasting from the earphones. How she does it, Reine will never know. Annoyed by their constant banter, Reine just tuned them out, ignoring their stupid conversation.

"Yeah! I know what you mean. I think it'll be cool to have a companion always." Toji replied, fantasizing about his bitbeast. How it would look, what attacks, you know the works.

"I wonder what my bitbeast would look like," mused Eris.

"I bet it's something pink," snickered Toji. Eris's love of the color pink didn't go unnoticed at Tochinomaki High.

"I dunno. Probably. It would be cool if it was."

Toji sighed.

"You know how everyone is feeling about beyblading and bitbeasts here, nowadays, don't you? They fear them and would probably confiscate beyblades if they see them. It's probably because they're afraid the beyblades and bitbeasts might somehow destroy the high school or something. I can't really blame them. The stunt Brooklyn pulled with Zeus was what put them on edge."

Eris nodded quietly. It was the first time she was quiet all morning. The disaster was looming in her mind and her 2 month stay at the hospital. Both her and Reine still had one eye covered by bandages where their eyes got hurt by a piece of concrete that fell in-between them as they ran. Eris shivered. She hated that experience. It was the most excruciating 30 hours of her life. She turned and looked sadly at Reine. She knew how introverted Reine was to begin with but after the incident, she was more withdrawn and she had tired bags under her eyes. She felt bad for Reine because she couldn't help her.

Suddenly, Reine tensed up when she felt an odd prickling sensation at the nape of her neck. She snapped her eyes open and couldn't believe what she saw. Surely those can't be beybladers walking through the school gates and heading towards the main office.

"Are those bladers?"

Eris followed Reine's line of vision and was just in time to see Kai Hiwatari and Tala Valkov bring up the rear of the group.

"Holy shit! No fucking way."

"Yes fucking way," Toji muttered. He always had to have the last say.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

I can't believe my luck. The more I try to get away from beyblading, the more it pushes itself on me. Just last week I finally locked my best friend and companion into a box and shoved her into the attic, and now I have to deal with more distractions? Why me?

"Do you think we should follow them?" Toji whispered.

I snorted. Toji was always curious and it's sometimes frustrating to convince him that what he wants to do is NOT a good idea. This time, I was too tired to try. Sensei would probably ask me anyway; why bother looking for trouble when it comes looking for you? I can name at least 10 incidences where this happened. Whenever I tell someone trouble looks for me, they don't believe me. I hope this doesn't happen again; I'll just keep quiet and hope for the best.

Eris finally answered for me and for once, I think she's using that thing inside her skull.

"No. We don't want to be associated with them unless it's absolutely necessary. I mean, come on. The hate for beyblade in this city is suffocating. They can't really expect us to welcome them with open arms. Our city is practically swimming in debt because of all the repairs we had to make."

"Yeah. You're right. Once they realize how much they aren't wanted, they'll probably leave."

Finally, they became quiet for more than 5 seconds. I can hear Hikaru Utada singing into my ears as silence surrounded me in sweet bliss. I guess I can enjoy peace while it still lasted. You never know what's going to happen with bladers around.

* * *

**Normal POV**

A red blob hurtled towards the trio as they finally had a couple minutes of peace and quiet to only shatter it with a loud shriek.

"Eri! Eri-Chan! Are you okay? What about you Reiniki? Eh, Reini-chan? Oh, hello Toji-kun!"

Eris turned around. Only one person called her "Eri" and that was…

"Tamayo! Tamayo-chan! Why wouldn't I be okay? Oh right, the building collapsing. Well, I'm fine. What about you Reiniki?"

Eris elbowed Reine in the ribs to get her attention. It seems like she had taken the peace as a sign of quietness and drifted into another one of her mental self-discussions.

"Eh? Oh, hello Tamayo-chan. Yeah, I'm fine too. Sorry I'm kinda out of it."

"She's been like that for a month now, Tama!" Eris whispered, "It's not normal!"

Reine shot her a dirty look as Tamayo whispered back,

"When has Reini-chan ever been normal?"

They burst out laughing at Reine's expense. She huffed and went back to her music, adamant about not taking part of the conversation anymore. As Tamayo got a hold of her laughter, she turned to Toji.

"So Toji-kun, have you told her yet?"

She snickered at how quickly Toji's face turned bright, tomato red.

"Wha-at? I don't know what you're ta-talking about," he stuttered.

"Ah, but yes you do."

Toji shot Tamayo an evil glare before huffing and leaving to join on some other guys' conversation.

"Aw, you had to scare Toji away didn't you, Tama-chan?"

"It's not my fault he doesn't want to be honest with himself, now is it?"

"So what's this about?"

Tamayo sent her a sly look and ran away to the other side of the courtyard before shouting,

"Not gonna get it out of me!"

Unknown to them, a pair of blue eyes was watching the entire scene unfold, marking them as his unsuspecting target.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

I sighed when I heard the bell ring. Time for torture to start and it will last for at least another 100 days if not more.

I jostled my way through the crowd to look at the homeroom list and found myself in 2B with 23 other sophomores. I pushed my way out of the crowd and went in the opposite direction in which I came in to reach room 2B which is on the second floor.

As I pushed the door open, I realized I was first.

"Score! I get dibs on window seats."

I turned around to see a blonde haired boy with blue eyes. He had a mischievous grin plastered on his face as he held his hand out to me.

"The name's Max. Max Mizuhara. What's yours?"

I stared at his hand and decided it would be rude to not take it and with reluctance I shook it and said,

"Reine."

He gave me a wide smile and started to bounce with happiness. Literally. This kid was too happy for me.

"So Reine. Do you blade?"

I looked at him as if he had grown two heads. It must have seemed questioning to him since he started to dig through his pockets until he pulled out a green blade.

"You know. As in 'Beyblading'. Here's my blade and that's Draciel. Do you have a blade and perhaps even a bitbeast?"

I stared at him as if he's insane. He probably was seeing that he was talking about beyblading openly in a city where that was not welcome. I decided my best course of action was to shake my head and sit as far away from him as I could, but I never got the chance to even run away as Sensei came and spotted us.

"Ah, Reine. The best student at work again I see. So what do you think about helping one of the new students that'll be attending Tochinomaki High with the rest of the student body?"

All I managed to do was stare at him.

'_One of the new students'?_

Does he mean there are MORE of them? How many of them are there?

"There's more of them?" I managed to ask. Sensei looked at me uncomfortably, loosening his tie a bit before answering,

"Yes, of course. There are at least 4 people per team and I'll estimate at least 5 teams are here. It's a new project by the BBA."

I looked at him dumbfounded.

'_Why did they have to choose this school out of this city to start this blasted program!'

* * *

_

**Normal POV**

Eris saw Reine stomp to their bench, under the same sakura tree where they had sat that morning, followed by a hyperactive blonde and a group of bladers.

_'She wasn't kidding when she said trouble looks for her,'_ Eris thought.

Her sister had an uncanny ability to attract trouble. She's like a magnet for negative energy.

"Hey Reine."  
Reine glared at Eris before plopping down onto the grass, grabbing her lunch, and taking a bite out of her sandwich. She was obviously NOT happy.

"So, how did it go?"

It was obvious what the answer is to that question, but Eris had to ask it in an attempt to show she cares about her twin's wellbeing. As usual, the outcome was fruitless.

"What do you think?" Reine snapped, indicating with her head to the group of bladers following her. She growled angrily before taking another bite out of her sandwich.

"Hey, hey now. No need to snap at someone who's trying to help," the hyperactive blonde interjected, trying to keep the peace between the sisters. Eris looked at him curiously. Suddenly, he turned around and shoved a hand into Eris's face before saying,

"Hiya! My name's Max! What's yours?"

Startled, Eris took his hand and mumbled, "Eris." Max shook Eris's hand vigorously, causing her whole arm to shake.

"So are you to related?" a purple-haired midget asked. He had joined the group, unnoticed, during Max's introduction.

"Oh, and the name's Ian."

"No, they just happen to be two people who live together under the same roof with the same parents," mutter Toji, sarcastically.

Toji had joined the group of people under the sakura tree.

'_Great, the group just keeps growing bigger and bigger,_' Reine thought dryly.

Suddenly, Toji reached over a took a piece of sushi from Reine's lunchbox before popping it into his mouth. Reine shot him a glare that clearly said, "Touch my food again and you will die a very painful death."

Oblivious to the intended sarcasm of Toji's comment by mistaking him to be slow or just plain ignoring him, Ian continued,

"So if y'all are related, are you guys twins or something? I mean, you guys look completely identical!"

Both twins turned to look at him, their silver hair dancing in the breeze with the warm sunlight making it seem as if they both have silver halo's floating around their heads. Bright, cherry-red eyes stared at him unblinkingly, wondering how stupid he could possibly be as he continued to blabber.

"The only difference I can see is that you **(he points at Reine)** have short hair and glasses while you **(he points at Eris)** have shoulder-length hair without glasses."

Irritated with his pointing and unable to cope with his stupidity and lack of common sense, Reine snapped.

"Do you have a problem with that? Isn't it a bit obvious we're identical twins?"

* * *

**Reine's POV**

I glared him down as he digested this information. It took at least 5 seconds for him to completely process what I've just told him and answer me.

"Jeez! Sorry if I'm just curio-"

"Every heard of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'?" I snarled, startling everyone with my outburst, even myself.

I just can't contain my hatred and disgust for these bladers. Just below the surface, I can feel fear shimmering, threatening to overrun me to the point of insanity.

Unable to cope with their stares, I got up, abandoning my lunch, and headed towards the gym, my hair covering my angry eyes. Calculus, Japanese, and History do _not_ make a happy and tolerable Reine in the morning. Perhaps working out will help dissipate some of my volatile emotions as they threaten to boil over. Thank goodness I have Gym next, I can vent some of my anger.

"Hey! Wait up!"

I looked back from the corner of my eyes just in time to see Max trying to catch up with me. I grunted in annoyance and picked up my pace. This is NOT something I need right now.

"I said wait up!"

I turned around to give Max a piece of my mind to find myself looking at him face to face. I was startled. How did he manage to catch up so fast?

Max leaned over, grabbed his knees, and tried to catch his breath.

"You sure… can.. walk fast.." he panted.

I just stared at him before some sense crashed down onto me and made me turn around and walk away quickly, determined to reach the gym and leave him and everyone else behind.

"Wait! I just caught up!"

I just ignored his voice and kept walking. Anger threatened to take over my actions, but I summoned all my will power to keep going and ignore the tiny voice in my head that's whispering for me to be humane and actually wait for the poor guy.

'_After all, you were assigned by Sensei to look after him. It would be your responsibility if he got into trouble, you know,_' the tiny voice whispered in my head.

I sighed. I knew it was right. For my own selfish reasons, I stopped and waited for Max to catch up before heading towards the gym again, conscious of the blonde's apparent happiness at being acknowledged.

"So where're you heading to?"

"Gym."

I decided monosyllable responses are the best because he might get tired of trying to talk to me. Apparently, I was wrong as he kept chatting about random things, not caring if I wasn't nodding at the appropriate places or even paying attention. I stared at him out of the corners of my eyes, unable to figure out why he's so happy and what he's so happy about. Suddenly, his chatter halted in mid sentence as he crashed into me as I stopped abruptly.

"So that's how I got into beybl-"

"Shit." I muttered under my breath. There, hanging out around the front entrance of the gym, were more bladers.

"Just what I need… Hey! What're you doing?"

Max was trying to get their attention by flailing his arms around, wildly. I attempted to stop Max by holding his arms down. He stared at me quizzically, not understanding the urgency of this situation and how it's affecting me. Unfortunately for me, I hadn't been able to stop Max quick enough for a blunette had spotted us and waved back.

"Hey Maxie! What's up? Who's that with ya?" Max grinned and answered,

"Hey Tyson! This is Reine and she's suppose to be my tour guide of this place. What was it called again? Tachinomoki High? No that's not right… Tokinamiki High? No, that's not right either…" Max furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he tried to remember our school name.

"It's Tochinomaki High." I said dryly.

"Ah! Yeah, that's right! Thanks!" He beamed at me. I sighed in defeat as more bladers detached themselves from their main body and wandered over in curiosity.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Reine looked on sourly as a group of bladers headed towards her, Max, and Tyson. In the lead was a raven-haired teen accompanied by a pink-haired girl.

"Hey Max," the raven-haired teen greeted, "Didn't see you in any of my classes. Hope your day was more eventful than mine. It seems like all the kids are avoiding us, but it looks like you're friends with at least one of them."

Reine just stared at him.

'_He though SHE was Max's friend? What a joke!_'

Max turned nervously and looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction, but her blank expression didn't help. She's almost as good as Kai at hiding her emotions so it's useless to even try.

"Er… Reine is just my tour guide, well, for now at least."

Reine snorted.

'_That's right. I'm just a tour guide. **(Reine rolls her eyes.)** More like babysitter if you ask me._'

The raven-haired teen turned and held out his hand.

"My name's Ray. Ray Kon."

Reine looked at his hand for a second before grabbing it, thinking it would be faster if she just played along, and abruptly shook it while muttering,

"Reine."

"Well Reine, it's nice to meet you. This **(he gestures toward the pink-haired girl)** is Mariah, and he **(he points to a dark-skinned teen behind Mariah)** is Lee. Lee and Mariah, meet Reine."

They stepped forward, one at a time, and shook Reine's hand. Mariah shot Reine a grin while Lee only solemnly looked at her and nodded. From the sidelines, Max could hardly contain his joy. Before he could help himself, he found himself shouting happily,

"Alright! We got ourselves our first, new friend!"

Reine sighed in exasperation. Now she won't be able to get around without bladers trying to act all friendly, friendly with her 24/7.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So what do you think about the first chapter? This is my first fic so I really would like some pointers. :-D

* * *

**Re-Posted AN:** I had to reload this chapter a couple of times because of small errors. :-( Sorry for the inconvenience!

* * *

Please **R&R**!

Rand-chan


	2. Lies and Deception

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings:** Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating:** T for mild swearing

**Quick AN:** This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Lies and Deception **

**Reine's POV**

When I finally escaped into the gym, I sighed.

_'They don't know when to give up. I mean, it's obvious NO ONE here likes them! Even though they realize they're not liked, they still endure this hate. For what?'_

I sighed again and turned towards the changing rooms only to be stopped by a red blur. WHAM!

"Ugh… My head…" I moaned. The red streak and tackled me to the ground. As I looked up, my eyes widened with surprise. "Tamayo?"

She glared down at me, hate evident in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Tamayo?"

"YOU tell me what's wrong, _traitor_," she emphasized the last word so I can hear the venom in her voice.

"Traitor! What are you talking about? HOW am I a traitor!" I asked, bewildered.

"Don't play dumb with me, _traitor_. I know all about you and your innocent acts," she snarled, working herself into boiling rage, "Becoming their friend like that. Did you forget what _your friends_ did only 3 months ago?"

By now, I'm sure my face was just as red from hers from anger.

"Do you REALLY think _I_ want to be their friend? Isn't it _obvious_ that I'm doing it to be _polite_?"

Tamayo quieted down a little and stared into my eyes. I knew she saw sincerity as well as anger and sadness that she would think I would betray them like that. Tamayo sighed.

"Sorry Reiniki.. You know how I feel.. I mean, you were there when it happened. How can I forget that you, and Eri-chan, were sent to the hospital.. Sorry Reine-chan, I wasn't thinking straight. I know that you're the kinds of person who's always polite. Gomen Reine."

She finished by bowing her head in shame. I sighed. I know exactly what she means and I would probably have acted in a similar fashion if she, Eris, or Toji did something like that, but nothing as physical or rash. I closed my eyes to contemplate the situation and how things like this ALWAYS happens to me.

"It's okay Tama-chan, but _please_ get off of me. You're heavy, believe it or not."

She stared at me, surprised that my answer was so… off-topic, but it's true. I can barely breath with her weight on my appendix. After a minute of processing my request, she finally understands. She giggled at me and got off. I stood up, massaging my sore belly.

"Soooo… Reiniki," Tamayo started. Dragging out the vowels, obviously unsure about how to start a conversation after this.. um.. awkward situation, "Whatcha doin' in the gym, anyway?"

_'Right.. what was I doing in the gym? Oh yeah… getting away from the bladers and taking out my anger from the purple-haired idiot from lunch on a poor punching-bag.. that about sums it up.'_

I decided not to tell Tamayo the latter of the two because she just might go on a rampage against that midget. She _really_ hates stupid people, especially stupid people who are bladers. It's kinda hypocritical to hate stupid people due to the fact that she can be quite stupid as well as dense. Oh well.

"Um.. I'm just trying to get away from the bladers, hoping not to get beat up by the blader-hating mobs due to association with the them," I said lamely, not knowing how to put it any other way.

Tamayo just giggled at me.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Unknown to them, two pairs of eyes, blue and mahogany, were watching their every move, having heard the entire conversation.

"What do you make of that?" the red-head with blue eyes asked the other.

"Hn," the dual-haired one with mahogany eyes grunted.

"Is that all you have to say?" the red-head asked in disbelief.

"It just makes sense, just little in their cases," the dual-haired blader answered before turning around, signaling the end of the conversation, "Let's head back to the others. They might be.. interested."

The redhead shrugged, he doesn't really care. Either way, it's a waste of his time.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

I felt uneasy as we entered the girls' changing room. It felt as if someone, or something, had been watching us in the gym. I felt vulnerable, never have I been alone as this, but I know I had to give it up. It'll be hell if I didn't.

"Soooo…" Tamayo trailed off again, "What do you make off the guys?"

I stumbled in surprise. I turned and faced her with mild look on my face. I was never really expressive.

"What! Just because they're off limits (because they're bladers, duh!) doesn't mean we can't look," Tamayo pouted.

I just rolled my eyes at her. She continued since I didn't interrupt her,

"I think the one with orange hair was pretty cute. I think his name is Brooklyn. What do you think, ne?"

"I don't know him, let alone seen him, to think he's cute," I answered gruffly, hoping to evade her interrogations. His name did sound familiar. He was probably involved with that disaster a couple months back. Tamayo pouted at my answer.

"Hmph. Fine! Don't give me your opinions," she complained, but hurried on, oblivious of my dislike to this particular subject, "Also, I think Tala is pretty cute, too."

I raised my eyebrow at her, which she mistook as confusion rather than distaste. He was cold and aloof, uncaring in most people's perspectives. He is the "king of ice" as I've dubbed him.

"You know, the red-head from this morning?"

I snapped out of my thought process on the "king of ice" to look at her.

"I know who he is," I answered, disgruntled.

"Oh. Well, I thought you were questioning who he was, kinda like with Brooklyn."

I merely scoffed at her.

"I know who Tala Valkov is. He probably bladed longer than Brooklyn and had more publicity. That's why I know him. Besides, I wasn't questioning who he was, rather I was questioning your tastes."

She glared at me at which I took as a sign to continue.

"He doesn't have any emotions. He's the 'king of ice'," I said, using my fingers to quote what I'd dubbed him. Taking her silence as a sign to keep talking, I continued, "He doesn't care about anyone and that's lousy boyfriend material. I mean, Tamayo, you can do better. _Much better._"

I emphasized my point by accenting the last two words of my rant. This is the most I've spoken after coming from the hospital. I guess it's probably because I care so much about my friends and I can't bare to see Tamayo hurt badly. That's what Tala would do to her. His effect on people are hardly positive.

"Yeah you're right," Tamayo agreed while twirling the combination to her gym locker and pulling out her change of clothes. She stripped off the school uniform before pulling on the gym attire. I complied to end the discussion there, also opening my locker to change and get ready for gym.

'_This is going to be one loooong of a year.'_

Mumbling incoherent thoughts under my breath, I headed out into the gym again, following Tamayo. Thank god that classes 2B and 2F has gym together.

_'What would I do if I didn't have at least one good friend with me while I'm stuck with all bladers?'_ I asked my self, _'Probably kill them all.'_ I chuckled to myself, silently. I'd hate to kill my rep as being as emotionless as a granite wall, even though my closest friends and family would disagree. According to them, I'm one of the most caring people around, and the only reason I'm emotionless as I am, as well as aloof, is because I have to hide my big heart or people will take advantage.

"That's a load of bullshit," I mumbled to myself, under my breath.

"What? Did you say something?" Tamayo asked.

"Uh? Oh, no. Nothing, Tamayo," I replied, not missing a beat. Secretly, I sighed in relief, glad that she didn't catch me in a moment of weakness.

"Okay, if you say so," she murmured, shooting me a glare and pouting at my secrecy before trailing off from her sulking to make a breathless comment, "Well would you look at that…"

"What?"

"It's Hiwatari and Valkov at 2 o'clock northeast."

I turned my head to follow her line of sight. Sure enough, I saw Kai Hiwatari and Tala Valkov exit the gym through the back doors. I narrowed my eyes at their retreating backs.

_'They were probably the presence that I felt earlier. I wonder if they'll tell the other bladers about what I said, not that it would effect me much.'_

"Reiniki, what do you think they were doing here, ne?"

I snapped my attention back to Tamayo and thoughtfully observed her.

_'Is she suspicious of them eavesdropping on our conversation?'_

I shrugged my shoulders uncaringly.

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"I dunno. I thought I might just point them out. You know, for the heck of it."

I stared at her incredulously. It's been a while since she had acted and spoken on an impulse. I guess she's starting to recover from the incident.

"Heh. All bladers are a bunch of neanderthal-like idiots. What's so special about them to catch your attention anyway?" I asked with a lopsided smirk plastered on my face.

"Because those are two hot neanderthal-like idiots and we should appreciate their good looks before they are mauled but the blader-hating mobs."

I openly grimaced at her answer. It was just so… crude.

"Point taken."

Startled, I turned around to see a brunette standing a few feet behind us.

_'I wonder how much of our conversation she heard.'_

"Who are you?" Tamayo asked bluntly, straight to the point as always.

"Oops. Sorry for interrupting your private conversation; couldn't help myself. Name's Sukie, Sukie Maorie. Vice President of Student Council and second class representative of 2F."

"Ah ha! I knew you looked familiar!" Tamayo crowed triumphantly, "You're in my class! You're the second class representative."

I sweatdropped at Tamayo's obvious observation seeing Sukie just told us the same thing just a moment ago.

"Very good. Someone give this bright kid a gold star," a sarcastic voice drawled.

I looked behind Sukie to see a blunette walking up to her. I can see Tamayo bristle at the sarcastic comment.

"And who the hell are you?" Tamayo asked frostily.

'_Uh oh. Someone's in for it,'_ I snickered mentally. Tamayo is usually hotheaded, but when she turns frosty on you, you've really pissed her off.

"Heh. Stupid kid not to know who I am," he continued lazily.

'_He sure is a glutton for punishment. By the looks of things, someone's about to get his face rearranged in not a pretty and painless way.'_

I snorted at his arrogant comment. _'What makes him think that Tamayo will know who he is if I don't know who he is? I know almost everyone here and it's saying a lot if I have never heard of someone.'_

I turned to gauge Tamayo's reaction. By now, she has a cool blank mask on, almost as flawless as mine. I raised my eyebrows at her. She just glanced at me before going back to glare at the blunette. I sighed.

'_This is going to be long and painful.'_

I grimaced by just thinking of the results of this encounter.

"So what if I don't know you? It just shows how insignificant you are due to the fact that _no one_ talks about you let alone know you," Tamayo sneered.

I looked at Tamayo, impressed by her cool-headedness.

'_That wasn't bad, if I must say so myself. I don't think I could've done better.'_

"Well, that shows how much _you_ know," the blunette growled back.

"And what would that be?" Tamayo countered.

'_Oh boy, this was getting out of hand, fast.'_

"Nothing!" he spat with obvious contempt.

Tamayo snarled in reply, quickly loosing her cool, which turned to burning rage.

"Enough, both of you," Sukie cut in curtly, sensing the rising tension, "Both of you need to back down. This is getting out of hand."

"Who died and made you my mother?" the blunette snarled, turning his heated glare onto Sukie, who didn't flinch.

"Well someone has to act mature for you, don't they?" she replied coolly.

By now, Tamayo had managed to shimmer down and with a level voice, she said, "You should be grateful she intervened or –"

"Or what?" he taunted, ignoring the glare I sent at him, telling him to shut the hell up.

With an angry snarl, Tamayo finally lost it and hurled herself at him.

Cursing violently under my breath, I lunged at Tamayo to prevent her from ripping him to shreds.

"Let me go, Tanaka," Tamayo snarled. I flinched at her tone and the usage of my last name. She wouldn't unless she's about to go berserk on someone. She's definitely seeing red.

"Calm down and ignore the arrogant bastard. Don't lower yourself to his level because you'll be playing his game," I murmured into her ear, intently watching the blunette for his reaction.

"Aw, is the little girl afraid to play?" he taunted and received a snarl as a reply from Tamayo for the comment.

"I suggest you shut your fucking trap if you want to live," I snapped icily. Even he is starting to wear my patience and fray my nerves.

"You should learn to follow advice, Kane," a voice with a hint of Scottish accent drawled in the lull of the argument. I turned sharply to catch sight of another red head.

"Whatever, McGregor," the blunette, who I know now as Kane, said, turning and sauntering away to send beside the Scot.

"So who might you ladies be?" he asked indifferently, letting his eyes flicker over our forms.

"None of your fucking business," I answered coldly, not wanting to put up with them anymore. I had remembered McGregor, full name to be Johnny McGregor, to be one of the bladers.

'_Part of the Majesties if I remember correctly. I think they are the European Champions.'_

When I realized this, I narrowed my eyes at the two boys and wanted to desperately to get away from them as quickly as possible. I'm guessing Kane to be a blader too due to his obvious familiarity with the Scotsman. The Scot just rose an eyebrow at my reaction.

The tension between the two groups was suffocating. Suddenly a shrill whistle and the sound of students coming into the gym startled us, causing us to back off but not without some snide comments and snarls of rage.

'_This encounter is definitely not going to help the bladers' reputation.'_

"Stupid neanderthal-like asshole son of a bitch…" Tamayo rambled under her breath, repeatedly throwing heated glares at the smirking blunette.

"Reiniki! Tama-chan! Over here!" Eris jogged up to them. "Why are you guys already dressed out into the gym uniforms? It doesn't start for ten minutes."

"I was planning on venting my anger and Tamayo joined me," I said simply, keeping my eyes on Tamayo just in case she decides to launch another attack on the annoying blunette.

Eris snickered at my answer. Catching her breath, she turned and shot an inquiring look at Tamayo.

"She's pissed at the blue-headed blader over there by the redhead Scot, Johnny McGregor," I mumbled under my breath, answering her questioning glance. I shot a quick look at Tamayo to see if she heard me. Thankfully, she didn't. Tamayo was currently looking off onto the track field with cold aloofness. I sighed knowing that she won't be much company due to previous events.

"Geez. How many bladers are here anyway?" Eris asked, in disbelief, taking in the other students in our gym class.

"Enough to ensure our discomfort," answered Sukie. Startled, I turned around and regarded her. Ever since the encounter with Kane, she's been quiet and I had forgotten that she was still here. Eris cast a brief glance at her before turning around to observe the students milling around the gym and whispering behind their hands while casting glances at the bladers, who were standing off to the side, when they thought that they bladers weren't looking.

"So what are you doing here, Eri-chan?" Tamayo asked, snapping out of her brooding.

Realizing the full meaning of Tamayo's words, I turned around and narrowed my eyes at her. _'Tamayo was right. What was Eris doing here? She's not in 2F, obviously since Tamayo asked her what she was doing here, and definitely not in my class.'_

Noticing my piercing gaze on her, Eris sighed. "Relax guys. Did you already forget that I'm in Athletics this year? Athletics is always last and we share the track field with the gym class." At the end of her explaining, she shrugged her shoulders and with her eyes sparkling mischievously, she said, "Just relax before you get an ulcer, Reiniki."

I shot her a withering glare for the comment and 'hn'ed before stalking away to stretch and limber up for the gym activities. She always thinks I'm too uptight and worried for my own good and all for nothing. Muttering profanities under my breath, I felt my muscles strain as I did the hurdle stretch and the splits.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Johnny leaned against the back wall of the gym, watching the silver-haired girl stretch and warm-up.

"Interested?" Kane asked, wagging his eyebrows at Johnny in a suggestive way. Johnny snorted and crossed his arms.

"No," and then with a malicious smirk asked, "And you?" He nodded his head towards the redhead girl who was talking to the twin, obviously because they look alike, of the silver-haired girl. Kane snorted.

"Of course not." Johnny just smirked and continued to take in his surroundings. He yawned lazily, trying to ignore the gossiping girls who were trying to point inconspicuously at the bladers. Breaking the silence, Johnny asked, "So who else has this hell-hole of a class with us?"

Kane looked around, catching a glimpse of slate-colored hair and a vibrant red haired boy.

"I think I see Kai and Tala," he muttered, showing obvious dislike towards the stoic teens.

"Not much company there. I think I see Garland, Max, and Robert," Johnny reported, grimacing at the choice of people to hang with.

"Oh well. At least with the new gym routine, it wouldn't be _too_ boring," replied Kane with a malicious smirk. Johnny just raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I have the feeling that our reputation isn't going to get any better with the new routine? I mean, it's obvious they dislike us as it is," Johnny pointed out. Kane just shrugged.

"It's not our fault. They can blame the BBA. It's not as if we want to be here."

"Correction, not dislike, but hate, and they sure as hell can blame us because that's what they think."

Both teens turned in surprise as a new voice joined the conversation to see that Tala and Kai had joined them by leaning against the wall. Tala shot them a smirk before continuing, "We heard from an interesting source that this town loathes bladers, but I can't tell why. Apparently something big happened to cause all this hostility."

"Well that's just stupid," Johnny said, once again watching the silver-haired girl.

"Hn. There's nothing we can do about it," Kai answered emotionlessly. Tala decided that the topic was too boring so he asked, "So what's the new routine you guys were talking about?"

Kane smirked. "They have to teach the kids here how to blade in gym now, so unless they're in Athletics, they have to blade for a whole semester. I think they're also going to open a blading club."

Tala grinned, "It'll be interesting."

"Understatement of the year, Valkov," Johnny replied coolly to only break out into a mischievous smirk, "According to what you've gathered, it's gonna be one hell of a year."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry to all the Kane fans out there! I made him seem like a complete asshole! –ducks and hides– He's like that he feels like shit after people kept mocking him. He's not suppose to be mean, just disgruntled and hating the people in the town.

So what do you think of the second chapter? Do you think it'll be hell for Reine and her friends or something they'll learn to love?

Please **R&R**! The more you review, the faster I update:-D

Rand-chan


	3. Semester of Hell

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings:** Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating:** T for mild swearing

**Quick AN:** This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Semester of Hell**

**Reine's POV**

The shrill call of a whistle broke through the steely silence of my concentration. Groaning softly, I stood up from doing the splits for the last minute. Catching sight of Eris waving good-bye at Tamayo, I jogged over to join her.

"Lucky bitch. Athletics is so much better than gym."

I cocked an eyebrow at Tamayo's comment.

"How is she 'luckier' to have Athletics? They run more and barely get any breaks. Gym is a knock-off class."

Tamayo turned and stared at me.

"You mean you haven't heard?"

I looked at her questioningly.

"Heard what?"

Tamayo sighed.

"We're learning to beyblade for the first semester. It's a _must_. They're also opening a blading club," Tamayo told me in a monotonous voice, obviously displeased at this turn of events. "The only people who aren't forced to learn are the people in Athletics, which brings me back to my current point: Eris is lucky to have Athletics instead of gym."

I openly winced at my unlucky position.

_'Damn! I'll have to blade now!'_

Another shrill call of the whistle stopped interrupted our impromptu conversation.

_'Here we go. Time to face hell,'_ I thought remorsefully. I was looking forward to archery, which is usually what we start off the first semester with in gym.

"Alright people! Line up along the wall for role call!" the gym teacher, Coach Kukasaki shouted. People mumbled under their breath as they did what they were told, everyone trying to keep a good distance away from the bladers, so in the end, the line had a large gap in the middle separating the regular students of Tochinomaki high from the foreign bladers. Coach Kukasaki just ignored the gap and called role call like he did everyday for the past year.

"Reine Tanaka!" he called.

"Here," I mumbled, trying to sound as small as possible, avoiding attention in any possible way.

"Tamayo Tsukai!" he belted.

"Here," Tamayo drawled slowly, obviously bored by the routine.

This procedure continued for another minute before he called the last name on the list.

"Tala Valkov!"

"Here," a cold voice answered. Coach Kukasaki looked up briefly and saw the lazy yet cold look given to him by a vibrant red-haired youth. He quickly placed a check next to the name before putting the clipboard down.

"Alright kiddos! This is what we're going to do this semester. I know you will not like it, most of you," he quickly corrected, shooting a quick glance at the bladers before continuing, "and I don't want to hear any complaints." He paused for effect before he announced the dreaded statement that will make the current semester of their gym course a living hell.

"This semester, we'll be doing something new. This was recommended to the school board by the BBA organization. We are the beta-testers for this new program to promote beyblading so for this entire semester, we will _all_ be learning to blade." He placed an extra emphasize on '_all_' to let everyone know that this class isn't the only one that's suffering.

"The BBA has kindly sent us some professional bladers to tutor us. I will be splitting you into different groups to work with individual bladers. Bladers, please step forward."

The entire half of the role call line separated by the gap stepped forward. The coach cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Please step forward one at a time and introduce yourself. Let's start with you, sir, at the end of the line."

Coach Kukasaki gestured to Max, who stood at the farthest end away from him. Max smiled cheerfully and stepped forward.

"Max Mizuhara at your service!" He grinned happily before stepping back. Next up was Kane. He had a dour look on his face as he stepped forward.

"Kane**(1)**," he said blandly, obviously not wanting to be here. As Kane stepped back, Johnny sauntered forward.

"Johnny McGregor," the Scot drawled in his lisp before smirking challengingly at the blader-haters. He stepped back into line and up stepped a silver-haired adolescent.

"Garland," he said shortly before stepping back in line. A purpled-haired German stepped forward.

"Robert Jurgen," he said stiffly in an English accent before retreating back along the ranks.

'_He must've grew up in the United Kingdom,'_ I thought as I made a mental note to myself on his upbringing and nationality.

Then the dual-haired blader stepped forward.

"Kai Hiwatari," he said in a cold voice, glaring at everyone and daring them to make a comment. He stepped back to let a red-haired Russian step forward.

"Tala Valkov," the Russian said icily, a smirk plastered on his pale face. As he stepped back, one of the two Chinese bladers I met earlier stepped forward. Her pink hair framed her face prettily.

"My name's Mao Chou but you can call me Mariah," she said cheerfully, ignoring the hostility directed at her. As she stepped back, the stoic, dark-skinned Chinese stepped forward.

"Rai Chou but you can call me Lee," he said shortly. He was obviously her brother by the look of things. Once he stepped back into line, Coach Kukasaki stepped forward once more.

"Please treat these bladers with the utmost respect. Some of the bladers are juniors and seniors and they are using their study break to teach you." He paused to see if anyone had any comments. Seeing no direct hostility, he continued, "When I call your names, please step forward."

"Sukie Maori, Sakura Tang, Fey Wong, Ty Ishikawa, and Sora Shizuoka. You all will be working with Max Mizuhara." Sukie looked sadly at Tamayo and me before walking off to join the four other students crowding around Max.

"Tsuki Yamagata, Lei Chiba, Tao…." Coach Kukasaki's voice trailed off as he called the names of the unfortunate people on the list before him.

"…Tamayo Miyagi, Saito Yamaguchi, Fuko Miyazaki, Ryouta Yamanashi, and Rin Saitama. You all will be working with Tala Valkov." Tamayo groaned.

"Hey, I thought you like Tala," I teased, smirking at her obvious discomfort. Tamayo just growled at me before shuffling off to join her group.

"Yami Mie, Reine Tanaka, Sai Okayama, Osaka Niigata, and Yume Kochi. You all will be working with Kai Hiwatari."

I groaned inwardly.

_'Great. Just perfect. I have to work with the egotistic fool.'_

I walked as slowly as possible over to the dual-haired blader and stood uncomfortably between Yume and Sai. Just then, the coach's voice was heard over the silent heads of the gloomy students.

"Okay, if you don't have your own blades and launchers, proceed in a single file line to these bags and grab one of each. Choose carefully. Take one that looks like your style or one that calls out to you. They don't have to be your favorite color or anything like that. Don't damage these because you will be using them until the end of the semester. They are yours to keep and practice with."

Mumbling under my breath, I joined the long line of 50 students, the number of people who don't have blades or launchers (which is basically everyone except the bladers), and waited for my turn. As I reached the crates, I hesitantly peered inside. I caught sight of an orange and white blade that seems to be more based on endurance and speed rather than attack and defense. I reached out and grabbed it, feeling its weight in the center of my palm. I grinned to myself.

_'Perfect. Just the way I like it.'_

Then I peered into the launcher crate and spotted the corresponding launcher. Thankfully no one has selected it yet. It was equipped with an extra long ripcord so it will give the blade more spin but less power. I grabbed it and walked away, back to my group. Yume and Osaka had already grabbed their blades and launchers. Yume had picked a dark violet blade that seems more offensive than defensive. It didn't look too balanced so she must've just picked it for its color. Osaka had gotten and bright green blade. It seemed to have its weight evenly distributed throughout the base. It's definitely more defensive than offensive and a bit on the slow side.

I unconsciously fingered my launcher, testing the way it felt in my hand. My knuckles tightened around the grip and adjusted to the unfamiliar weight.

_'This launcher is heavier than what I'm used to. Maybe they added more to these launchers.'_

I caught sight of Kai eyeing my blade and launcher. His face had turned from stoically cold to thoughtful.

'_Crap! He's getting suspicious. Maybe I shouldn't have gone with my style and just choose a random, crappy blade like Yume and Osaka.' _Cursing my bad luck, I failed to noticed the two final members of our group join us.

Quickly realizing everyone's here, I did a quick analysis. Sai had chosen a dull crimson blade that's more offense and speed than endurance. It will have great power but it will stop spinning faster than the average blades. Yami clutched a black and white blade in his hand. He had chosen a balanced blade between offense and defense. He must have some experience in beyblading to do that. He must be one of those strategists who balance themselves equally so that they can be prepared for anything, but in my opinion, that's the weakest combination. A good blade must excel somewhere and a good blader will come up with a strategy to counter the blade's weaknesses.

Coach Kukasaki interrupted my thoughts as he shouted the final announcement before class started.

"We aren't going to start blading until you have done your fitness forms. We need to see how fit you are so that your tutors will come up with a balanced training regime for you. We will start in 10 minutes so spend your time getting to know your group because you will be stuck with them for the rest of the semester."

I sighed as I turned to face my group. It wasn't too bad. I don't have many people who dislike me, unlike Tamayo who, I might add, is having a hard time getting along with her fellow group mates. I heard Yume take a deep breath before taking the plunge. I would say that she's one of the more talkative ones of the group, which is not a lot. My group consists of the people who are usually quiet. Yume and Yami are the only ones that are average talkers and even then, they aren't too bad.

"Well, my name is Yume Kochi and I'm a sophomore in 2B. My hobbies are dancing and writing. My favorite artist is Avril Lavigne. I'm the middle child in my family of five. My favorite color is purple and it's great to meet you all, even though I know most of you since childhood." After finishing her introduction, she shrugged and looked visibly more relaxed.

'_So I was right. She only chose her blade because of the color.'_ I was so deep into my thought that I didn't notice Yami starting his introduction.

"Konichiwa! My name is Yami Mie. I was born in Hiroshima and moved to Bakuten**(2)** at the age of 7. My hobby is skateboarding and my favorite band is Greenday. I'm an only child but I do have a cat. My favorite colors are black and white. I guess I can make this situation the best it could be so I say we give it a try regardless of the…history." Yami paused before adding the last part. I saw Kai cock an eyebrow at him but Yami just looked away.

'_He better not tell an outsider, let alone a blader.'_ I thought vehemently. Everyone in the group was glaring at Yami except for Kai who had no clue what he was blabbering about. A soft voice broke the tension as Osaka started to introduce herself.

"Hi. My name is Osaka Niigata. I was named after my hometown and I moved here at the age of 4. My hobbies are volleyball and hiking. I listen to classical music," she blushed as she said this. Not a lot of people listen to classical music anymore. She continued on with a wavering voice, "My favorite colors are sky blue and light green. It'll be my pleasure to be your group mate." She smiled innocently at her last sentence before turning red and looking at her feet.

'_She's so brave. She feels so shy and uncomfortable yet she took the initiative to introduce herself.'_ I looked at Osaka proudly. Sai and I glanced at each other reluctantly, neither one of us wants to introduce ourselves. Finally, she relented and spoke in a monotonous voice.

"Name's Sai Okayama. Born and raised in Bakuten. Listens to punk, rock, and hard metal. Don't really have a favorite band. My hobbies are my business so don't ask. I have an older brother that works in the garage in town. I don't have a favorite color. All I have to say is mess with me or my friends, and you're going down."

I sweatdropped at her introduction. It was short and blunt, just like Sai. She's really cool once you get to know her, but the first impression is that she's a cold bitch. I sighed. I guess I have to go now. Taking in a large breath, I started.

"My name's Reine Tanaka. I'm also born and raised in Bakuten. My hobbies are tennis, drawing, and singing. I play the electric guitar as well as the piano. I listen to all sorts of music. I have no real preference. My favorite band is Evanescence. I have a twin sister who is lucky enough to be in Athletics," I added the last part softly to myself before continuing in a louder voice, "I'll work with all of you as a team even though I hate this sport."

After I finished my introduction, everyone looked at everyone else (excluding the blader Kai) and nodded, a silent agreement made.

'_We won't learn to love Beyblading, but we will be respectful to those who teach us.'_

The silence was deafening in our group since we finished our introductions. Suddenly, a gruff, cold voice spoke.

"Kai Hiwatari. I'm a junior in 3D. My hobby is Beyblading and I have a bitbeast named Dranzer. She's a phoenix not a flaming chicken. Anyone who calls her as so will meet a painful death. I'm an only child and I have no real preferences to music. If you don't already know, I'm half Russian, half Japanese. I won't go easy on training and I will make you a top-notch team. If you want to complain, complain now because after today, you won't be allowed to."

A shrill whistle pierced the silence that had once again fallen on the group. Coach Kurasaki's voice was heard yelling instructions.

"Everyone! Listen up! Line up at the back wall of the gym. We will be doing timed pacer tests to see your endurance and speed. Then we will see your muscle stamina and strength with sit-ups and push-ups. Then you will be told what to do by your tutor."

People were grumbling about how "unfair" it was that we are forced to do this but I bore the treatment in silence. The silent pact made by our group members surfacing in my mind. I faintly heard the beep that indicates that the pacer test had started. My body went into motion by itself as my mind wandered by previous encounters with this sport. Believe it or not, I didn't use to hate it. There were happy memories such as when I first learned how to spin a blade and the first battle I won. The bad ones started when _they_ came. I faintly noticed only a couple of us were still running to the beat for the majority of the 60 students had stopped, unable to keep running. I realized that all the bladers were still running and they weren't breaking a sweat, just like me. I raised my eyebrows in admiration. Not many can keep up with me and my stamina and speed. They must train a lot to get this good.

"Wahoo! Go Reine! Show 'em who's boss!" I heard Tamayo and a lot of my classmates urging me on. They knew that I'm the top runner in the entire gym class and Coach Kukasaki was surprised I wasn't doing Athletics, like Eris, since I'm much better than her. I guess I just like the gym blow-off class way more (and there was archery to consider). I noticed another couple of people drop out during my musings. I smirked. The machine was upping the speed.

'_Now it gets interesting.'_

I always loved a good challenge. I always try to last longer in the pacer test each time. It seems like some of the bladers were finding it hard to keep up. I sourly noticed that Kai Hiwatari hasn't broken a sweat yet, neither did Tala Valkov. They were keeping up with me pretty well. I would say we three were in the best condition so far. I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration. I have the urge to do better than them and show them up. I wanted to prove that I could be good as any blader.

Soon, it was down to just Kai, Tala, and me. All three of us were panting heavily as we neared the end of the test. I've never made it all the way to the end before and if I have to, in order to prove I'm just as good as those bladers, I will. I can hear my classmates cheering wildly as the eight bladers watched on. They looked impressed that I was keeping up with the two Russians. Apparently they were the best of the best.

"_149." _

I heard the machine call out in its monotonous voice. I was so close to completing the course and neither Kai nor Tala have fallen out yet. I gritted my teeth for the last court I have to run.

_"150."_

I gathered all my strength and sprinted down the court, Kai and Tala hot on my heels. It was a silent agreement that whoever reaches the far out-of-bonds basketball line first wins. I felt the blood rushing in my ears as the cheering of my classmates became deafening. I can hear Kai's ragged breaths just behind me and I plan to keep it that way. Time seemed to stop as my foot crossed the line, my short hair floating behind me.

A deafening roar rocked the gym as I stopped and stooped over to hold my knees while I panted. My throat felt raw and sore. Coach Kukasaki looked impressed at my performance. It was then that I realized what my classmates were shouting.

"You beat 'em Reine!"

"You're da bomb!"

"Way to rock them, girl!"

I looked up dazedly and I realized Kai and Tala standing off to the side, holding their knees and panting like I was just a couple of minutes before. Sweat dripped down their faces just like I felt mine. I could feel the large grin erupting over my face as I realized my victory. Suddenly, I felt someone glomp me from behind. I heard Tamayo's voice yell into my ear. It was something like, "You kicked some major blader ass, Reiniki! Whoot! Whose da man? Eh? Who's DA man!"

In a long time, I laughed at Tamayo's antics and I felt myself relaxing.

_'Maybe this semester won't be so bad.'_

I turned around and saw Max run up to me.

"Way to go, Reine! That was great! I've never seen anyone show Kai up like that!"

I grinned lopsidedly at him. I guess I decided then and there that he wasn't too bad, that's if you don't give him too much sugar. I looked around and noticed the approving and astonished faces of various bladers. Even Kai looked impressed. I guess what Max said was true.

Coach Kukasaki's voice rose above the cheering as he shouted, "Alright kids! Enough!" He waded through the crowd of cheering teens and reached me. He said gruffly, "Nice job Reine. You make this school proud."

I beamed at his compliment. Then turned around and faced the masses of students wanting to congratulate me and shouted, "We still have push-up and sit-up session. Get back into your groups of six and grab a partner.

"Damn," I heard Tamayo curse, "I wanted to work with you." I smiled sympathetically get her.

"Don't worry. The worst thing that can happen is that you're stuck with Valcov," I said encouragingly. She openly grimaced at that thought. I don't blame her. I mean, if I get stuck with Hiwatari, I don't know what I would do. I bet if I did get paired with him, he'll try to show me up like I did him in this pacer test. As I wandered back to the group, I wondered if anyone is still open or I'll be stuck with Hiwatari. Luckily, they haven't made the groups yet so I managed to snag Yume as my partner. Unluckily for Sai, she got stuck with Hiwatari.

I shot her a sympathetic look. She didn't look that disturbed but that's Sai for you. She doesn't really care as long as she gets whatever she has to do done. Each pair grabbed a mat. As I headed to grab one, I saw Tamayo glaring sourly at her group. Apparently she did get paired with Valkov. I snickered at her unfortunate predicament.

"What're you snickering at, Tanaka?" I heard a cold voice break through my thoughts. I turned and looked up into a pair of cold crimson eyes. I cocked an eyebrow at his question.

"Why do you care? If it makes you feel better, it's not about you or the pacer test," I said calmly before grabbing a mat and hauling it to mine and Yume's place, which is as far away as physically possible from Sai and Kai possible.

He just stared as I walked away, an unreadable expression on his stoic face.

Once again, I gave it my all as I completed every set of push-ups and sit-ups, just like Kai and Tala. Apparently we were all evenly matched except for the pacer test. Surprisingly, I found that I was more physically healthy than most of the bladers.

As I sat up heaving from the mat, I saw Kai standing in front of me. I hesitated and then looked up and I found myself meeting his crimson gaze as he stared scrutinizingly at me. It's as if he's trying to see beneath the surface. Apparently, there aren't many people out there who were this athletic without a reason to be. I found myself asking, "What? Is there something on my face, Hiwatari?"

I saw him raise an eyebrow at my usage of his last name. I found myself speaking again, "If there isn't, do you mind moving so I can get up?"

He complied by stepping back one step but no more. I sighed in defeat. It's obvious that's as much as he'll give me.

"Battle me," I heard him commanded rather than asked. I stared at him, surprised. I looked around to make sure he's talking to me and not someone behind or next to me. Seeing that I'm alone, I looked at him incredulously again.

"Me?" I spluttered in surprise, "Why? I don't know how to blade!"

"I don't believe that," he commented quietly, keeping his intense gaze focused on me. I felt myself starting to sweat. When I managed to find my voice after my initial shock, I managed to ask, "Why do you think I know how to blade?"

He looked at me as if the answer's obvious, probably to him it is.

"One, your blade is obviously an endurance and speed blade, one of the more uncommon combinations. Two, your launcher is the perfect partner not only compatible in style but also able to counter your blade's weaknesses. No ordinary beginner would've knowledgeable enough to get the combo right because it's one of the harder styles to master. Besides, the chance that you would grab both the right blade and launcher is one in a million. There were at least a hundred blades in that crate along with the same number of launchers. Don't you dare tell me that it's all coincidence. Aside from the obvious gear details, how many people are that athletic who isn't into a serious sport? I know your tennis covers that but I really doubt you need all that strength in volleying the ball over the net since you need to hit it within a certain area."

As he finished handing me all the evidence, I felt my throat dry at each his observations.

_'I knew I should've just chosen a crappy blade.'_

My thought was interrupted as Kai pulled out his launcher and blade before asking in a condescending voice, "Are you going to willingly battle me or will I have to force you?"

* * *

**Side-notes to parts of the fic:**

**(1)** Kane wasn't given a last name and I don't have any ideas what last name to give him so I'll always refer to him as Kane. The same goes for any other character who wasn't given a last name in the series.

**(2)** Reine lives in Bakuten City and goes to Tochinomaki High, which is more of a specialized school instead of the local Bakuten High. :-D I thought I might clarify that fact. If you're wondering where the rest of the teams are, they are coaching at Bakuten High so that would be teams like F-Dynasty, Barthez Battalion, PPB All Starz, Saint Shields, Team Zeo, and etc.)

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It's a cliffy! Don't kill me! –ducks under desk– Do you think Reine will accept the challenge? Who will win? Will Reine's secret be exposed? (Hint of foreshadow there) :-D

Please **R&R** and I will probably be motivated to update faster. 

I want to send out a special thanks to **tennisgurl** for supporting my fics! I want you to know I really appreciate the time you take to read them! Don't stop writing your 1-800-Where-R-U fic! I will always review each chapter.

Rand-chan


	4. Challenge

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings:** Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating:** T for mild swearing

**Quick AN:** This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Challenge**

** Reine's POV**

"Are you going to willingly battle me or will I have to force you?" I heard him ask me coldly. I felt sweat trickling down my eyebrows, either from my previous workout or nervousness, I couldn't tell. I felt everyone's eyes on me. Suddenly Tamayo stepped forth.

"You can't force her to accept your challenge. Besides, she doesn't know how to blade, right Reine?"

Tamayo turned and looked at me expectantly. I felt myself freeze under her expectant gaze. I can't lie to her. I _do_ know how to blade, but I haven't bladed openly since the incidents and _they_ showed up, before it was considered taboo to even touch a blade. I felt everyone's gaze burning into me.

"Right? You don't know how to blade, do you?"

Her eyes implored me to deny that I have the knowledge on how to blade, but I just couldn't bring myself to answer her.

"Quit stalling, Tanaka. Are you going to accept my challenge or not?" Kai demanded, rather than asked, in a cold voice.

_'Maybe its better to deny knowing how to blade well and then deliberately loose.'_

I pondered this option and decided it will be the best course of action. I rose my chin defiantly and spoke in a measured voice, "I accept your challenge." I heard a gasp pass through the crowd, which was immediately followed by excited whispers. Tamayo just stared at me incredulously. I suppressed the guilty feeling in my chest as I pushed myself to finish my argument that will get the heat off of me.

"But, Hiwatari, I'm only doing this because with your strange sense of logic you believe I know how to blade, which I reassure you _again_ that I do not. It's either I accept or you will force me, correct? Well I accept your challenge even though I don't even know the first thing about blading."

I saw Tamayo visibly relax and I sent a reassuring smile her way. Kai just grunted in response.

"Fine. Let's battle."

With that said, he whipped his blade onto his launcher expertly with practiced ease. I slowly attached my orange and white blade to my respective launcher, which was light orange color. I slowly slid my extra long ripcord into the launcher and took a step back. Kai mimicked my actions and placed his ripcord fluidly into the launcher.

'_Probably because he's had more experience than me,'_ I thought, _'not that I care.'_

Max stepped up. He looked nervously from Kai to me then back to Kai again.

"Er…Kai? I really don't think you should do this. I mean… she's probably telling the truth."

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and count down. I have my reasons."

Kai had a knowing glint in his eyes as he stared at me. Max shot me a look that obviously said sorry before he started to state the rules of the match.

"This is going to be a sudden death battle. First one to stop spinning is out. There are no boundaries. Oh, and no attacking the blader. Bladers ready?"

Kai shifted into his launching stance and I awkwardly mimicked his actions.

_'I must blade like crap and loose immediately and that means not a full-forced launch. Man, I hate this.'_

Max looked at us and sighed. With obvious reluctance, he counted down.

"3! 2! 1! Let it RIP!"

Kai yanked on his ripcord strongly while I clumsily pulled mine. His blue Dranzer landed without problems while mine wobbled as it hit the gym floor.

_'Good so far.'_

"Come and get me!" Kai taunted as he looked at me expectantly.

_'I'll just stay in one place and hope that either my blade will stop spinning soon or that he knocks me off balance. That shouldn't be too hard for someone with his skill. Maybe I can demonstrate that I can't control my blade. That's definitely beginner like. Either way, I'm letting him decide the first move,'_ I strategized to myself.

I just ignored him as he constantly taunted me. He circled me menacingly. My blade just kept wobbling in the center of the circle as he moved in for the kill. I chewed my lower lip nervously.

_'Come on! Knock me out already!'_

"Too chicken to attack me?" Kai taunted again, his eyes studying my every move.

"Don't you think that if I know how to control my blade that I would've attack you already?" I drawled sarcastically, changing strategy. Goading him will cause him to attack in anger eventually, and from what I've seen, he isn't a very patient person. Sure enough, my strategy worked. I can see him clench his teeth painfully that I felt my jaw get sore from just watching him.

"Whatever. Dranzer! Attack!"

I watched his zoom in a zigzag pattern towards mine while my blade spun pitifully in the same spot where it landed when I launched it. It was wobbling weakly, trying to keep itself spinning.

_'Soon this'll be over,'_ I reassured myself as I watched with a pained face as his blade closer and closer.

"Now Dranzer!" Kai screamed and gestured towards my blade, "ATTACK!"

With a blank and silent face, I watched his blue blade knock my orange blade past my shoulder as it landed with a pitiful clunk on the other side of the gym. I let out the breath that I was holding.

_'Finally. It's over. I wish that he hadn't made me do that,'_ I thought sourly as I walked over to pick up my beaten blade. The crowd was silent as I stood up, tightly clutching my blade. Slowly, a smirk crawled onto my features.

_'Seems like I won this round, Hiwatari. You forced my hand, but I ended up playing you the fool.'_

Quickly hiding my emerging grin, I turned around and walked quietly back to the crowd.

"Didn't I tell you I didn't know how to blade? You shouldn't jump to conclusions just because someone is more physically fit than normal. Did it occur to you that maybe I simply like to exercise? I will repeat this once more, and only once. **I _do not_ know how to blade.**"

With that said, I turned sharply on my heel and sauntered over to the changing room just as the shrill whistle of the bell broke the silence indicating the end of the school day. The trance over the crowd of students broke as they headed to their respective changing rooms. I was slipping off my gym shirt as Tamayo barged in.

"Reine! How could you allow him to humiliate you like that?"

I calmly turned and faced her. With a casual shrug of my shoulders, I indicated that I really didn't care whether or not I was humiliated or not.

"Tamayo. I don't really care whether I won or not. I told him that I didn't know how to blade and he believed otherwise based on some weird logic. He forced my hand and I had no choice but to prove him to be a fool, a person who's so full of themselves that they think they know everything."

Tamayo winced at the harshness of my words. I'm surprised I can say that so calmly after my devastating loss.

"Don't worry, Tamayo. I'm sure that by the end of the semester, I would be able to control my blade, even if it's just a little bit."

She smiled weakly at my poor attempt to cheer her up.

"Now let's not talk about that any more, 'kay? Hurry up and change. We're meeting Eris outside the gym and then we can go with Toji to get some ice cream and walk around the park. Maybe we can skate, too."

She grinned happily at my suggestion and hurried to spin the combo of her locker and proceeded to change quickly. Within minutes, we were both dressed in our casual clothing. **(AN: They always bring clothes with them because they don't like wearing their uniforms out of school. The skirt is just too short for their liking.)** Tamayo was wearing black baggy jeans. Her navy shirt had a gray bobcat on the front. She had tied her curly red hair in a high ponytail. Her black arm warmers covered her wrists. She grinned cheekily at me.

"Ready?"

I inspected myself once more in the mirror. I was wearing a forest green pair of cargo pants. A fitting black shirt hugged my torso comfortably, not too tight or baggy. A beautifully crafted silver necklace hung around my neck. A small, delicately made charm of a sea serpent with seven heads – known as a hydra from Greek mythology – dangled from it. Most people think it's just cool jewelry, but to me, it had another meaning. It was a family heirloom passed from mother to daughter. It is the guardian spirit of our family. Once it was said to have protected our family during a pirate attack on the ship that my ancestors took to sail here from Europe. That's right, I'm part Greek, not full Japanese.

I smiled at my reflection as the charm caught the light and sparkled proudly.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

We walked calmly out of the changing room only to bump into Kai outside. He was leaning against the wall right next to the door. When he noticed us, he straightened himself and sauntered over. He had changed from the boys' P.E uniform into the regular school uniform, which consists of a white linen shirt and navy pants. A black school bag hung carelessly from his shoulders.

"What?" I asked him almost lazily.

"What was that shit you pulled back there?"

I pretended to be puzzled and asked, "What do you mean 'shit'? I didn't do anything. I have no experience or skill in the sport. Like it or not, I can't blade."

Kai shot me a glare, which I happily returned.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment that I need to meet, one that's more important than talking to you." With contempt-filled look shot in his direction, I turned to walk away. Unexpectedly, Kai's hand shot out and caught my wrist. Surprised at his sudden action, I turned around and glared at him.

"Let go of me and don't touch me again," I hissed dangerously. He only looked coolly back at me.

"Not until we talk through some things," he answered in an equally dangerous tone.

"I don't have time for this! Let me go, Hiwatari!" I snapped exasperatedly at him.

"Well you should've thought about that when you lost on purpose," he replied stubbornly.

"I didn't loose on purpose! I could barely control the damn spinning top! You're just angry because when you forced my hand, you turned out to be the fool."

His expression turned murderous. It seemed like I hit a sore spot. Apparently, he wasn't used to being wrong.

'_Even though he isn't wrong,'_ I thought to myself, _'I simply out witted him.'_

"Now that we reached the understanding that you're just simply angry about the fact that I proved you wrong and hurt your inflated ego. Consequently, your pride wouldn't allow you to live it down. Now that we solved that mystery, can I go?"

He furiously threw down my wrist and sauntered away. His hand had left a bright red blemish on my skin that would probably turn into a bruise later. Sighing frustratingly, I absently rubbed my sore wrist before turning to Tamayo who just stood there the entire time.

"Ready to leave? I think I see Eris by the door."

She stared worriedly at me.

"You know, he won't stop trying to prove that you are an experienced blader."

I grimaced inwardly at that thought. Does it mean that I wouldn't be able to get him off my back?

'_This is an unfortunate situation. I can't keep blading like shit and loosing. I guess I'll have to make it seem like I'm training and improving slowly, but not training hard enough to make it seem as if I really care about the sport. Well, I'm in a hard spot now. I guess I have to be extra cautious now.'_

Snapping out of my thoughts, I tried to act nonchalantly about what just transpired.

"Don't be such a worry wart! If I don't how to blade, I don't, right? No one can turn expert overnight and I doubt it's legal for him to kidnap me and drag me out to the middle of nowhere and train me day and night to bring me back as an expert," I joked. Tamayo lightened up slightly.

"Now come on. Ice cream is waiting."

"Yeah, but you know, if Hiwatari does come after you, you can come to me for help. I'll show him a thing or two about picking on my friends, ne?"

I laughed at her optimistic comment about beating Hiwatari up.

"That's right. Eris' probably breathing fire now because we're so late."

Grinning from ear to ear, Tamayo dragged me with her out of the gym.

'_I'll worry about it as the situation turns up. Now, I will enjoy spending time with friends and eating ice cream. Watch out Hiwatari! I'm not afraid of you.'

* * *

_

**Normal POV**

Eris was tapping her foot irritatingly against the ground as she waited impatiently for her twin and Tamayo to hurry up and get dressed before she goes inside and drag their sorry arses out here. It doesn't take that long to dress. She had changed into her knee-length pink skirt and white tank top in less than 5 minutes.

Suddenly a loud bang started her from her musings. She saw Kai Hiwatari saunter angrily out of the gym. She had heard from several gossiping students about Reine's loss against the dual-haired boy in a beyblade match and about his accusations at her for being a beyblader. She was faintly worried about how her twin reacted to the accusations. Reine is usually very patient but, when provoked, had a hot temper. She saw Kai glance at her briefly before striding away at a fast pace. Shrugging uncaringly, she glanced at her watch again.

"Argh! They are so dead! They're 15 minutes late!"

"Sorry Eris. We got held up by business. **(cough) **Hiwatari. **(cough)** We would've been here sooner. So anyway, where's Toji?" Tamayo said quickly as she dragged Reine out of the gym behind her.

Eris glanced at Reine worriedly. Reine looked her and then Tamayo before rolling her eyes. The group started out of the courtyard towards the entrance of the school.

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything too bad. He just threw a temper tantrum because I took his overly enlarged ego down a couple of notches by proving his accusations wrong. Stupid guy. Unfortunately, I'm in his group and he's my tutor. I'm in deep shit, now, for pissing him off. He'll probably double my training or something stupid like that."

Eris looked at Reine pityingly.

"Poor you. I told you that you should've joined Athletics."

Reine sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I wish I did join, now. If I do survive this semester, I will probably never want to look at a beyblade ever again."

Tamayo laughed, "Yeah. Me, too."

Reine turned slightly away from the conversation and let her eyes scan around the deserted courtyard of the school quickly before following Eris and Tamayo out of school. She saw Toji running out of the Science building towards them with a couple of books under his left arm.

"Hey! Don't leave without me!"

Eris and Tamayo paused and turned around with murderous faces.

"YOU'RE LATE!" they yelled angrily with steam coming out of their ears. Reine just shook her head.

"Come on Toji. We will leave without you if you don't hurry up."

"I'm trying!" he panted, out of breath as he reached the trio, "I had to stay behind to ask Mr. Takashi about some Physics problems."

"You're out of shape Toji-kun. You need to work out more. Why don't you go running with Reine every morning? It might you get more fit," Tamayo advised, a mischievous twinkle lighting in her eyes as she teased Toji unmercifully.

Toji replied by giving her a glare and flipping her the bird. She 'tsk'ed at his behavior.

"You will never get her to like you back if you keep acting like that," she said innocently, but the gleam in her eyes show otherwise. As soon as the sentence was out of her mouth, Toji turned as red as he did this morning.

"So that's it! Toji-kun is in love!" Eris joined in the teasing of the unfortunate boy. Reine decided to take pity on the poor boy and intervened.

"Aww guys. Leave him alone. Can't you see how embarrassed he is? He'll probably ask her as soon as he's ready."

They complied and left him alone except for a couple of times when they would turn around and snicker at him. The entire was to the ice cream shop was relatively quiet and peaceful. Each was lost in their individual musings. A loud shout brought them out of their thoughts. They shared a look before hurrying forward to see what was causing the commotion. They stumbled onto a startling sight. A couple of beyblades was attacking two defenseless little kids that were huddled together in front of an alley. They were badly cut and bleeding heavily out of various wounds.

Reine felt her temper rising at the sight before her.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

_'No! Not them again! I thought the attacks stopped!'_

Without thinking twice, I hurried forward and kicked the beyblades away from the bleeding children and stood protectively in front of them.

"You cowards! Attacking helpless children with beyblades! How can you stoop so low?"

A low, crazed voice started to chuckle darkly. Eris, Tamayo, and Toji stepped forward and joined me in shielding the two children from farther attacks. Soon, three other voices joined the first one and all four started to laugh maniacally.

"Pathetic fools. How dare you stand up to the Skullz?"

"Why don't you ask yourselves, knuckleheads? You're attacking defenseless children who have done absolutely nothing to you, and you dare ask why we protect them?" I heard myself shouting at them. My rage obstructed my vision making me see red.

_'They're just stupid bullies who makes themselves feel important by hurting those smaller than them. It makes me sick!'_

"Listen bitch! No one defies the Skulls! How dare you insult us? We will tear you limb from limb!"

With the impeding threat, a blood-red beyblade shot out of the shadows in alley and started to rip at my clothes. Thin cuts started to appear on my exposed skin with blood dripping out slowly. Furrowing my brows in concentration and throwing caution to the wind, I felt my hand grip the light orange launcher that I received in gym before whipping it out along with my orange and white beyblade. I swiftly attached the beyblade to the base of the launcher before stringing the long ripcord through the launcher. I heard a startled gasp escape from Tamayo's lips. I know this is different from the way I had prepared earlier. Earlier, it seemed as if I have no clue on what to do, but back then, I was just faking. Gritting my teeth to the escalating pain caused by the blood-red beyblade, I felt myself fall fluidly into launching stance. Gripping my ripcord tightly, I pulled it out hard with practiced ease.

I felt like I was watching the battle unfold from a third person's point of view instead of actually participating. I felt myself commanding my beyblade to aggressively attack the opposing beyblade and battering it into scrap metal. I faintly heard a shout of surprise from the thugs in the shadows of the alley at the way I was blading. I don't care if people find out that I can blade. All that's registering in my brain is protecting those two children. Suddenly, three other beyblades joined the fray and started to attack me simultaneously. Clenching my hands into fists in anger at the unfair odds, I faintly felt a familiar aura surround me before a cerulean beam shot out of the sky and into the bitchip of my beyblade. Breaking me free of my anger-filled battle trance, I registered the new power in my blade.

_'You came back even when I locked you away,'_ I thought, ashamed, _'I'm so sorry Esil_é_.'_

**/It's okay, child. You were doing it to protect yourself and I don't blame you. Now, we shall protect the people of Bakuten again since the Skullz came back. Will you join me again/ (1)  
**I heard Esilé ask with her soft and patient tone. I felt tears of gratitude fill my eyes as I nodded.

_'Yes. Yes I would like that.'_

As soon as my thought ended, an aqua colored light shot out of the center of my blade.

"ESILÉ!" I heard myself call as a thick fog rolled in to cover the streets, basking the streets in an ethereal light shining from my bitchip. Water motes danced in the air surrounding my blade. I vaguely registered that some people have joined us at the opening of the alley but I pushed aside.

"SERPENT'S TWISTER!" I heard myself yell as a water twister spiraled out of my blade and hit the four offending blades. In this foggy atmosphere, I can feel the water particles just like my bitbeast, Esilé, can and I can make out the four figures of the Skullz. I felt myself get surrounded by my bitbeast's protective aura as she healed my cuts.

"Judgement of the Deep," I heard myself whisper coldly as I directed the attack at the four thugs. Finally Esilé revealed herself. Her seven magnificent heads reared out of the fog and roared. The single large fin on her back swayed to the slight breeze created by the power-charge created by the beginning of the attack. Her smooth, powerful tail anchored her to the beyblade as her great, scaled torso slithered around the pavement and wrapped itself protectively around my group of friends and me. Her middle head opened its jaws wide as a navy blue ball of particle-charged water gathered inside. Meanwhile, her six other heads surrounded the center head protectively making sure that nothing disturbed its charging. As the charge neared maximum power levels, the six other heads gathered balls of pure white balls of hydrogen molecules into their gaping mouths. Slowly, the white balls of energy formed a six-pointed star as the charge reached its maximum power. The middle head fired the charged water particles at the unfortunate thugs at the same time the six other heads let loose their hydrogen bombs. There was a huge explosion as the attack hit its mark.

I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the dust cloud that formed when the huge force hit the pavement surrounding the four thugs. As the cloud cleared, there was a four-foot crater where the thugs are standing. They were captured in a charged water-particle prison that would be set off by merely touching it. If they tried to evaporate it, the hydrogen gas inside will set alight and cause the bubble to explode. I had changed the original attack so that it wouldn't disintegrate its target like it used to. It still can if I command it, but I usually as an effective prison system that there's no way to break out of. I only use it as a last resort or when I'm especially angry.

Breathing deeply, I calmed myself and stepped forward to regard the four pitiful men inside the bubble. They had wet themselves as the attack hit them and surrounded them in a binding prison. I stared coldly at them, my cherry-red eyes glinting dangerously.

"If I catch you here again, I won't be so merciful. I will disintegrate you on the spot, understand?" I asked in a steely voice. They frantically nodded their heads. Satisfied with the results, I turned around and walked back to Esilé whose seven heads was staring intently on the thugs, making sure they don't try anything funny.

'_Thank you for your help, Esilé.'_ I thought as I established my mind link with her. One of her seven great heads turned away from glaring at the Skullz and stared warmly at me.

**/It's no trouble at all, little one. I will always be here to help you whenever you need it./ **Esilé answered soothingly before riveting her back to glare at the four terrified bullies. I smiled peacefully up at her. I turned towards my friends and stared at their surprised expressions.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to get involved. If someone found out about me, then they would give you trouble as well, and I don't want that to happen. I hope you will forgive me."

I looked at the ground, which had suddenly turned very interesting. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I quickly looked up into Eris' smiling eyes.

"Well sis, I've known all along. I was just waiting for you to tell me. I believe you're doing the right thing and I will stand by your side and take every insult thrown at you with you."

She gave me a quick hug and a squeeze on the shoulder. I smiled faintly at her.

'_She knew and never said anything?'_

/**Young one. She's always known about the guardian spirit of the family. When your parents gave me to you, she knew that you had potential to be my partner. She realized that sooner or later, you will begin beyblading because it's the current way of harnessing my power./**

'_You're right. It makes sense now. Thank you Esilé.'_

**/Anytime./**

Toji slowly walked up to me and stared deeply into my eyes. He smiled sincerely and shook his head.

"You know that you can tell me things like that. Your cause was justified, unlike the Skullz's. I'm behind you 100 and I would never rat you out."

I looked at him gratefully before turning my attention to Tamayo. She's probably the one that I hurt most. I had lied to her about beyblading and probably betrayed her trust. She had put herself on the line to try to stop Hiwatari from challenging me to battle. Her hair shadowed her expression as I looked over. Slowly her head moved up. I can see tears in her eyes. Fearing the worst, I felt my chest hitch.

"I… I **(sob)**…I was _so_ scared about when they started attacking you. I…I** (hick)**… thought you had no chance because of the way you battled Kai earlier. I thought you were going to get pummeled. Then you go all powerful on us, even with a bitbeast. I thought I lost you! You had me so worried! Never do that again!" she shouted and rushed at me to hug me tightly. I could feel her shoulders shaking with each breath and sob.

I felt my eyes soften as I patted her back reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Tama-chan. I promise I won't worry like that again. Please stop crying. It's not as if I'm dead."

She laughed weakly into my shoulder before letting go and smiled at me.

"Of course I forgive you. I know why you did what you did. I would be a horrible friend not to take your view of things. I think it's just a bit selfish that you left us out on your big secret. When I say big, I mean _big_."

She gestured towards the towering hydra still wrapped protectively around us.

"Sorry Tamayo. I won't tell forget to tell you the next big thing that happens to me," I laughed, relieved, "Now does anyone have a cell phone that I can use to call the cops?"

Eris started to dig through her purse and pulled out a hot pink razor. I grimaced at the bright color. She just shrugged.

"I'll put it away if you're not going to use it."

I eyed it warily and took it from her. Quickly dialing for the police, I reported the attack on the two children and told them our exact location. I quickly hanged up and handed it back to Eris. I slowly turned to the bleeding children.

"Are you two okay?" I asked as softly as possible, trying not to scare them anymore than they already are. They nodded slowly and looked up at awe at the giant water serpent above them, its seven hands weaving around each other. It's dark blue hair contrasting greatly with its cerulean scales and golden, slitted eyes. Noting their wounded state, I opened my mind link with Esilé.

'_Is there anything you can do to heal their wounds?'_

One of Esilé's great heads turned to face me.

**/If they allow it, yes. I can heal them with my aura just like I healed yours./** Her great golden orbs staring at the awestruck children.

I turned and asked them, "Will you allow my friend to heal you? I promise that it's quick and painless." They nodded slowly.

'_They're ready, Esilé.'_

Esilé's pupils dilated as a light blue aura surround the two children and everyone watched on in fascination as the skin knit itself together slowly and the cuts disappeared without leaving any scars.

The younger of the children tilted her blonde head up to stare into the golden eyes of the hydra.

"Thank you," she said sweetly before a huge smile appeared on her face. Esilé nodded her head in recognition before turning back and gaze intently at the trapped men again.

I heard the police sirens coming down the street and stepped out of the great serpent's embrace. The cops stepped out of the patrol with awe-filled faces that showed a bit of fear.

"Excuse me," I called. They startled out of their reverie and turned to look at me. They took in the sight of my tattered clothes that was caused by the Skullz's beyblades.

"Um, did someone call the cops about a Skullz attack?"

I simply nodded.

"Yes I did. They are currently imprisoned in Esilé's water prison. That way, they can't escape. The cops looked skeptically at each other.

"Water prison?"

"Yes. It's a large bubble of water made of charged water particles of nuclear properties. It's strong enough to disintegrate flesh upon contact but weak enough so that no one will get a bad case of radiation. If they try to evaporate the prison, they will cause the hydrogen gas inside to light and cause the bubble to explode like a miniature bomb. They aren't too eager to try to escape from a prison like that," I replied, relishing in the looks of surprise on the cops' faces.

"They're trapped in the alley," I told them before creating a mind link with Esilé indicating to her to move her great serpent's tail so that they can retrieve the thugs from the alley. The cops hesitated before stepping inside the alley and stared at disbelief the sight before them. Who wouldn't? There were three teens along with two battered looking children being guarded by a seven-headed sea serpent. Further on there was a four-foot crater with four thugs ,with the Skullz tattoo on their biceps, trapped in a charged bubble.

"Ah, how am I suppose to arrest them without touching the bubble?" one of the cops asked.

"Just tell me when you're ready so I can indicate to my bitbeast when to release them."  
The cop just nodded in understanding. They blocked both exists of the alley before signaling to Esilé and me that they are ready.

'_Now,'_ I told Esilé via mind link, _'Be ready in case they try something.'_

Esilé bobbed one of her great heads in response, keeping her fourteen sets of golden eyes on the four men. With a quiet pop, the bubble burst. The thugs were petrified to the spot, afraid that their prison was still there only invisible. The two cops moved in and handcuffed all four men.

"Thanks for your help. We need more bladers like you, but I would appreciate if you didn't damage public property next time," they told me. I grinned sheepishly.

"Hehehe… Oops?"

Shaking their heads, the cops led the four criminals to the police car and drove away with their sirens blaring. As the cops turned the corner and disappeared from sight, I turned and looked at Esilé.

'_Thanks again for the help, Esilé.'_

**/It's my pleasure Reine. I will see you another time./**

The seven simultaneous voices responded in harmony before the fog rolled in once more before being blown away by a salty breeze to show that the great beast had disappeared. With a silent command, I called my beyblade back into my hand.

"So who's up for ice cream?"

* * *

**Normal POV**

Max and Tyson watched two cops lead four handcuffed men into the patrol car from the alley whose entrance was currently being guarded by a giant sea serpent. Its magnificent heads were weaving among each other as its muscled, scaly torso was curled protectively around something. Suddenly a dense fog as thick as pea soup rolled in. Seconds later, it was blown away by a salty breeze. Once they can see in front of them again the great water serpent had disappeared. With its massive bulk out of the way, they saw four teens and two little kids standing in front of the once guarded alleyway. Upon further observation, they realized that one of them was Reine.

"Hey! Hey Reine!" Tyson yelled as he ran across the street towards the small group. Max followed behind him, waving frantically. As they neared the group, they heard Reine suggest ice cream.

"Oh! Oh! I want ice cream!" Tyson screamed.

Startled, Reine looked up.

"Tyson?" she asked, startled. Upon closer inspection, Max and Tyson realized that her cloths were hacked into a tangled mass, as were the clothes of the two smaller children.

"What the hell happened?" Max questioned seriously, all traces of happiness gone from his face.

The group looked nervously at each other before turning to look at them again.

"Err…care to talk it over ice cream?" Reine suggested.

"Fine as long as you tell me who or what did this to you," Tyson replied seriously. Reine nodded her consent. Tyson took off his denim jacket and handed it to Reine.

"Erm… I think it's better if you wear it," he said while he looked his feet, blushing furiously. Reine looked down at herself and saw the mangled mess that used to be one of her favorite shirts and blushed prettily. She took his jacket and wrapped it around herself.

"Thanks Tyson."

"No problem."

Remembering the children, Reine squatted down so she could look them in the eyes.

"What's your names and where do you live? I'll take you guys home," she offered. This time the older boy answered as his baby blue eyes looked up at her.

"My name is Thomas Giancarlo and this is my sister, Celia Giancarlo," he answered softly, "We're new here. We recently moved here with my brother and his friends into a big mansion on a hill."

"Whoa! Wait up! Did you say 'Giancarlo'?" Tyson asked, surprised.

The blonde boy nodded his head sagely.

"That's right, mister. I'm Thomas Giancarlo."

"Okay…so is Enrique Giancarlo your older brother?" Max asked gently. The boy's eyes went wide.

"You know my big brother?"

Max nodded vigorously.

"So can you take us home?"

"Yeah! Of course! I know the mansion you're talking about," Tyson exclaimed, excitedly. Reine looked surprisedly at Tyson.

"You know this Enrique?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah! He's the regional champion of Italy. He's one of the Majestics," Tyson answered.

"Oh," Reine said and looked thoughtful.

"Can we trust you guys?" Eris asked seriously. Startled, Reine blushed when she realized that Eris, Tamayo, and Toji was still there. She had forgotten them completely.

"Of course," Max answered seriously, his normally bright eyes darkened by his seriousness.

"I say we trust them and tell them everything," Eris said in a commanding tone, looking expectantly at Reine, "and you need to fill us in about the tiny details of your _job_." Reine shuffled around uncomfortably.

"I second that notion," Tamayo piped in.

"I agree with those two," Toji agreed, adding his two cents. Reine sighed in defeat.

"You guys are right. I've hidden this too long."

With that said, Reine turned to face Tyson and Max seriously.

"Once we tell you and all the other bladers, you must swear to secrecy because we cannot have this leaking out into the public. If it does, we will all be in danger. Do you agree with our terms?"

"We agree, but we can't speak for our friends. You'll have to tell them yourselves."

"Fine," Eris interjected, "Can we get going and take these kids home? It's getting late. It's," she broke off and looked at her watch, "7:30. Crap! Did that really take 2 hours 30 minutes? Damn! I wanted to go skate." Eris pouted while everyone else sweatdropped at her sudden change in attitude.

"We still have tomorrow," Toji suggested, "besides, this is serious stuff and it's business we need to get done as soon as possible."

Eris nodded in agreement.

"I'll call mom and tell her we'll be late, 'kay Reine?"

"Yeah," Reine answered absently, trying to form what she'll tell the others in her brain.

"Let Toji and me borrow your cell after your done, 'kay Eris?" Tamayo demanded, rather than asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Oh hey mom. Listen, Reine and me will be late. We have something urgent to take care of. HOW'D YOU KNOW? Yeah. Okay, I'll tell Reine. Love you, too. Bye," Eris hung up and stared at the phone in disbelief before Tamayo snatched it out of her hands and dialed her home number to inform her parents of her tardiness. As Tamayo chattered on the phone, Eris pulled Reine aside.

"You know, mom knows."

Reine looked at her with wide eyes.

"WHAT! HOW? I NEVER TOLD ANYONE!"

"Quiet down! The whole neighborhood can hear you. Anyway, I don't know but the important thing is that she knows and has known for quite some time. I think it has something to do with the family heirloom since Esilé was inside the necklace when you receive it. Mom was probably her partner before you."

Reine looked thoughtful.

"That can be a possibility. You're probably right. Remind me to interrogate mom when we get home, 'kay?"

"Fine. Now let's get back to the others," Eris said before turning around and walking back to the group, dragging Reine with her.

As the neared the group of their friends, **(AN: Yes, the bladers are considered their friends since they got to know them.)** they heard them introducing themselves to each other.

"Guys," Eris interrupted, "we're ready to go. Come on, we have to get these kiddos home."

"Right, now Tyson, Max, lead the way," Tamayo commanded. Reine watched on, amused, as her friends played around and teased each other. She offered a hand to each of the children as they walked down the numerous streets of the small city of Bakuten, each step bringing them a bit closer to solving the mystery surrounding this small town, friendship, and forgiveness.

* * *

**(1)** This is how I show a bitbeast communicating with its master via mind link. I didn't put on top because it would spoil the story line.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

That's a _long_ chapter. I couldn't find a good stopping place. Hehehe….

So what do you think of the twist in plot? Did you expect it or not? Can you guess the secret they're hiding? **(Hint: foreshadow)**

If you like this fic, maybe you can check out my other fic, "**A Fork in the Road**". Its setting and style is slightly different from this story's but I think you will enjoy it if you enjoyed this one.

I would like to send special thanks out to **whyamidoingthis01** for reviewing this story and giving me the inspiration to update with this extremely long chapter. I hope you enjoy this.

Please **R&R**!

Rand-chan


	5. Secrets Revealed

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 5 –Secrets Revealed**

**Reine's POV**

Tyson and Max led us to a towering mansion on top of a hill that overlooks the entire town of Bakuten. I felt my jaw drop in awe at the magnificent sight before me. We walked up a mile long driveway, which took us a better part of 30 minutes, before reaching an imposing door. Its knocker was a bronze gargoyle's mouth. I shuddered when Max reached out and grabbed the knocker and banged it loudly. We waited a couple of minutes before a frantic blonde-haired boy with sky blue eyes opened the door.

"Tyson! Max! You've got to help me! Thomas and Celia have gone missing and…"

He trailed off when he caught sight of the two kids standing beside me, their hands slipped in mine. He took in our battered looking appearance.

"Goddess…what the hell happened to you guys?" he yelped, surprised. I eyed him warily.

"I will tell you as soon as you allow us inside and these two are treated."

He snapped back as if he was slapped.

"Of course. Sorry. Where were my manners? Please, please come in. I'll let Robert and the others know that we've found Thomas and Celia. I'll be back in a moment. Please excuse me," he spoke quickly with an Italian lisp before leaping up the grand staircase two steps at a time.

"My brother is strange," I heard Thomas mutter. I stifled my giggles at his comment. It was startling his resemblance to his brother. They could've passed for twins if they were the same age. As we walked into the vast reception hall, I glanced around in awe. Quickly removing my shoes as well as helping Celia with untying hers, I led them towards what I guessed as the kitchen.

"Uh Tyson?"

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Is the kitchen this way? I'm going feed these children. They must be ravenous."

Tyson scratched his head as he thought about it.

"Yeah, I think it's that way. Come to think of it, I'm kind of hungry, too." As soon as the last syllable escaped his lips, his stomach gave a loud growl. Everyone burst into laughter as Tyson rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly.

"Sure, Tyson. I'll feed you and the children," I laughed as I followed him into the kitchen. As soon as I walked in, I froze. Sitting there at the dining table was none other than Kai Hiwatari.

"WHAT THE HELL IS S/HE DOING HERE!" we yelled simultaneously.

Max sweatdropped at the scene unfolding before him.

"Last time I recall, I _live_ here," Kai answered coolly, staring me down.

"Well I'm here because of these children," I snapped hotly while I gestured towards the two Giancarlo siblings, "and other…_stuff_." I mumbled the last part mainly to myself.

"Reine's going to feed us," Celia piped up, staring at Kai with her big, baby blue eyes.

"She's also going to feed me," Tyson added sheepishly.

"Whatever. I'm out of here," Kai said as he walked out the kitchen door. Eris, Tamayo, Toji, and Max moved out of his way as he stalked past them. Tamayo lifted her lips in a silent snarl as he passed. An awkward silence befell the group as they wracked their brains to find something to say. Tyson's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, again. Everyone looked at Tyson, who blushed beet red. With the tense atmosphere broken, everyone broke into laughter and settled around the vast kitchen comfortably. I found myself digging through various cabinets trying to find the ingredients for making stir-fried noodles. Suddenly a French-accented voice asked, "Do you need help, mademoiselle?"

I looked up to see a green-haired youth wearing a pink apron and a white chef's hat.

"Um…yes. Help is appreciated," I replied as I smiled at him, "Perhaps you have an idea on what to feed the Giancarlo siblings for dinner? I'm trying to find the ingredients for stir-fried noodles, but I'm not having any luck."

The Frenchman listened attentively before smacking his snapping his fingers, a sure sign that he has a brilliant idea.

"Don't worry about it, miss. I'll cook a meal for Thomas and Celia," he suggested. I straightened up, wincing as a sharp pain shot up my back. I must've remained in that position too long.

"Thanks for the offer, um…" I trailed off not knowing his name. He laughed before saying, "Sorry. Let me introduce myself. My name is Oliver Polanski." He stuck out his hand in greeting. I grinned and took it heartily, giving it a solid shake.

"Thanks for the offer, Oliver. It's greatly appreciated. Oh, before I forget, Tyson says he's also hungry."

Oliver sighed.

"Why am I not surprised?"

I looked at him blankly.

"Say wha?"

He looked at me before laughing again.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you didn't know Tyson like we did. It's a fact that he's a bottomless pit. He's _always_ hungry, regardless of place and time."

I gaped at him.

"Are you serious? That's not physically possible! If he eats as if he's a bottomless pit, his stomach will explode!"

Oliver just laughed at my outburst.

"Why don't you watch him eat tonight before you tell me if it's physically possible or not?"

I looked at him uncertainly. He must be exaggerating about Tyson.

'_It's not humanly possible to eat so much.'_

I backed away from the kitchenware as Oliver started to cook. He moved with expert ease as he opened cabinets left and right. He timed everything perfectly as if it was a planned dance routine. I decided that he didn't need my help so I headed off to find the others and possibly and extra shirt. As I stepped out of the kitchen, I found myself face to face with the blonde-haired boy with sky blue eyes again.

"Oh excuse me," I mumbled as I turned red in the face seeing how close we were standing. Taking a step back, I made room for him to enter the kitchen.

"No, no. Excuse me. I don't know how to thank you for finding Thomas and Celia. I was so worried. We're new here and they don't know their way around. I was so afraid that they might've gotten hurt, but you brought them back safe and sound, except for the state of their clothing but that can be fixed. If I can pay you back in any way, just let me know."

I looked startled at his outburst. He must've been frantic to be this grateful. I smiled softly as I answered,

"It was my pleasure to help them home. You don't have to pay me back for something like this. My payment was their happiness from being brought back home."

He looked gratefully into my eyes. His eyes widened as he realized the state my clothes were in, which wasn't much better than the children's. My forest green cargo pants were mostly intact, but I can't say the same for my shirt.

"My Goddess! I had forgotten that you were just as bad off as Thomas and Celia. Please forgive my rudeness. I'll ask one of the girls to lend you a shirt. Please wait a moment," the Italian said quickly, leading me into a huge sitting area where everyone else was before disappearing upstairs once again.

"Hey Reine! Over here!" Tyson called as we waved for me to join him, Max, the redhead Scot that I remember as Johnny McGregor, and the purple-haired German that I remember as Robert Jurgen, who I had made a mental note earlier about being raised in the United Kingdom.

"Um…sure," I mumbled uncertainly.

"These guys had sworn to secrecy on what you're going to tell us," Max informed me gravely. I narrowed my eyes before scanning their faces. Johnny still has the arrogant look from before but it was a lot more serious and a glint of trustworthiness was shone through his violet eyes. The purple-haired German remained as stoic as before but the small wrinkle between his eyebrows showed his focus and concentration. I sighed. These two pass inspection.

"Very well, I will include these two as I explain the situation. I don't want to repeat myself so I will tell it only once when everyone who had sworn to secrecy is present," I decided.

Max's face broke into a brilliant grin.

"Alright, Reine. It's fine with us. Right guys?" he asked the Scot and German as they gravely nodded.

"You've proven yourself a self-respecting person by saving Enrique's siblings without taking something as payment for your good deed, and from what I can tell, there's more than meets the eye that you've given to protect them," the stoic German said. I was surprised by his observation skills.

"Therefore you have our respect," the red-haired Scot finished. I was even more surprised by their amount of sincerity.

'_These are very loyal people. They will make good allies. I'm glad I met these bladers now. I guess they're not so bad after all.'_

Passing my judgement, I felt Esilé trill quietly through my mind link, obviously pleased by my decision. Just as a comfortable silence fell over the quiet group, Enrique came barging in with Mariah in tow.

"I don't see what's so urgent Enriq– Oh, Reine! What the hell happened to you? You're shirt is ruined! Come up to my room and I'll let you borrow one of my shirts. I'm pretty sure it'll fit." She smiled toothily at me. I smiled in gratitude before sending a sincere nod in the Italian's direction, who, I just learned from the brief conversation, was called Enrique.

I followed Mariah onto the second floor of the vast mansion. After passing several oak doors, Mariah paused in front of a door in the middle of the hall and flung it open to reveal a very pink room. Thankfully it's not hot pink but rather a soft shade of light pink that's easy on the eyes. She led me into the center of the room and twirled around.

"So what do you think of this room? I don't have things like this in the village where I came from."

I looked around the room, stunned by its beautiful furnishings made of white wood and tasteful wallpaper. There was a mahogany canopy bed with pink drapes blocking the mattress and pillows from view. Beside the bed was a mahogany nightstand as well as a white wood vanity table. Various makeup products were spread across its surface. A dark wood desk rested on the far side of the room piled with homework. To say that I was impressed is an understatement.

"It's beautiful," I managed to whisper as I glanced back at Mariah standing in the middle of room. She beamed happily. She ran forward and grabbed my hand before pulling me to another set of oak doors, which she flung open to show an impressively sized walk-in closet.

"Feel free to borrow any shirt. You can go into the bathroom to change and I'll throw away your tattered shirt."

I stared mournfully down at my unfortunate shirt.

'_I really liked this one. Damn those Skullz!'_

"Thanks Mariah. I really appreciate this," I said sincerely.

"No problem Reine. I'll meet you downstairs. Enrique told me that Tyson and Max had something to all of us. You know how to find your way downstairs again, right?"

I nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you then," she called over her shoulder as she walked out the room and down the hall. I turned my attention to her vast variety of clothing.

'_Is there anything that isn't pink, something that's considered a dark color? Ah ha!'_

I reached out to grab a dark maroon shirt off a hanger. It seemed to be about my size. Walking out of the closet, I found my way into her private bathroom, and if you guessed it was pink, bravo. Slipping out of my torn shirt, I slipped the Mariah's maroon shirt over my head. It fit snuggly, tighter than what I would've liked, but not too revealing.

Stepping out of the pink bathroom, I made my way back to the staircase and was about to walk down when I realized none other than Kai Hiwatari was leaning against the wall beside it. Growling under my breath, I tried to walk past him without incident but no such luck. As soon as I stepped in front of him, his eyes snapped open to reveal his cold, crimson orbs. Before I can react, he had my arm in an iron hold. I tried, in vain, to remove my arm from his clutches but he just tightened his grip until I hissed in pain.

"What do you need us to swear to secrecy for?" he asked in a callous voice. I winced as he tightened his grip again before glaring at him furiously.

'_How dare he try to abuse me!'_ I thought fiercely. I could feel Elisé thrash her finned tail angrily at me being manhandled.

"Let go of me, Hiwatari. If you don't want to know, then you don't have to swear to secrecy. If you want to know what's going on, then swear."

I stared at him darkly, forcing myself to lock eyes with him in a challenging glare, silently daring him to hurt me again. He broke eye contact first and released my arm.

"You have my word that I will not tell anyone even if my life is threatened," he vowed gruffly. I stared at him slack jawed in surprise before regaining my composure quickly. Nodding in acknowledgement, I headed down the staircase with Kai following silently. As I entered the sitting room, I noticed that the room was full. All the couches were taken and many were sitting on the beige carpet. I noticed Eris, Tamayo, and Toji sitting uncomfortably at the front of the room. As I stepped inside, the people in the room noticed my presence and fell silent as I passed them on my trek across the room.

Tyson and Max stood up and walked up to flank me as I reached my group of friends. Max broke the silence as he spoke.

"We have all sworn to secrecy," he hesitated before continuing, "Some of us that agreed are coaching the students in Bakuten High, but they are willing to help us in any way. Do you mind them knowing?"

I shook my head.

"No, I don't mind. The more people that know, the better the chances we have against them."

"Then why have we sworn to secrecy if it's better that more people know?" Kai asked suspiciously.

"Because we have to be able to trust them. They have to be dependable and not in league with our enemies. Obviously, all of you work with the BBA due to the fact that you're representing them by doing this beta testing in Bakuten. Am I right?" I retorted.

A lot of heads nodded.

"Any more questions before we proceed?"

Kane called out, "Why do the citizens of your city hate us?"

Murmurs spread through the crowd of bladers. Many of them were wondering the same thing. I was prepared to answer this question and I formed the simplest answer in my head.

"We didn't used to hate you, just street bladers. We actually thought professions were okay. Many of us grew up learning to blade in a local BBA building. It was smaller than most of the other BBA stations but it did its job well. Then _they_ turned up and attacked the building, completely annihilating it," I replied coldly as I recalled the event bitterly.

"Afterwards, things just started to go downhill. Street blading was the only available option if you wanted to continue playing the sport. Soon the street bladers started forming teams and used their beyblades to attack innocents, so beyblading turned from a sport to crime and creating the term 'rogue bladers'. They started a long series of violence on the streets. It got so bad that beyblades were confiscated on sight. Bladers were discriminated, regardless of whether they learned with the BBA or on the street. We were all labeled as the same thing: **murderers**. Soon everything and anything to do with blading was completely banned except for watching the national and world tournaments. That's why many are reluctant to learn how to blade or show that they have skills in the area. They don't want to be labeled or discriminated."

"Soon our opinions changed. Through a series of broadcasts, you guys proved that professional bladers can be and are as ruthless as the rogue bladers. The BEGA incident 3 months ago was the icing on the cake. The tournaments showed how some beyblading sponsors created professional blading teams that were just like _their_ teams. The event that sealed our hate was when Zeus damaged our city for no reason, hurting half the city's population at the same time. It was then that we started to hate beyblading as a whole. It didn't help that the _their_ teams took advantage of the confusing aftermath started to kill by using beyblades, again."

I paused at the end of my explaining before stating in a soft voice, "Call it bad luck, if you will, but it was a series of horrible events that led us to the hate that we now harbor, well, most of us."

After I finished my brief explanation, the bladers were silent. Some stared at the ground guiltily for being one of those "ruthless" bladers while others looked on in horror.

"Is that all you needed to ask?"

No one said anything. Taking their silence as a 'no', I took a deep breath and started my explanation of our current situation. I turned, briefly, to glance at my group of friends. Tamayo flashed me a thumbs-up sign before I turned back to face the crowd of bladers in the large sitting room.

"I'll start with some background information. Our town has always faced problems with rogue bladers throughout its history. I believe they were the ones that started the slaughter on the streets by the means of using beyblades as weapons by substituting the dull, metal attack rings with sharpened knives. I recently found that the source of this problem is a major organization that funds and sponsors many rogue beyblade teams. This organization is who I refer to as _they_. They train their bladers to be ruthless and cruel. I still haven't been able to pinpoint _them_ or what their motivation is, but we do know that one of its major rogue teams is the Skullz, which consists of more than 100 members. Tyson and Max witnessed the arrest of four members today. They were arrested on assault and battery charges. In Bakuten, we mainly have problems from this particular team, but we are aware of many more teams like them that may be even more ruthless found all over the world that stem from the same organization."

I looked around the room to gauge their reactions. Many held shocked expressions while some had grave looks. Kane suddenly asked, "So why don't you inform the BBA? I'm sure the BBA organization would be able to find and shut down this organization that's responsible for these rogue teams."

"Do you really believe that this organization wouldn't have some insiders into the largest beyblade organization? Do you really think it's a mere coincidence that the Skullz turned up again, now, after I dealt with them last summer? Why now? Ask yourselves these questions and if anyone has any idea what the answers to these questions may be, feel free to share."

"All major crime organizations place insiders in the largest opposing company, like with Dr. K and Allan," Max observed, remembering his past experiences. I nodded my head in agreement.

"It isn't a coincidence that they started their attacks now after Reine dealt with them last summer. They're starting to attack because they feel threatened by the possibility that the local bladers will combine forces with all the bladers sent here for the beta testing to take them down," Toji pointed out, "We are a force to reckon with since there are over 30 bladers and each has a bitbeast." He made a valid point even though there wasn't any solid evidence. It was very plausible and reasonable.

"They're attacking now because we haven't had a chance to group," Mariah realized wide-eyed.

"Right," I said, "You guys got it. Now the golden question is who is behind the attacks and formation of these deadly teams and what their motives are," I pointed out, "I'll personally kill the leader if it turns out to be another world domination scheme."

I got some chuckles from the bladers at my comment.

"Now that you know the current situation, I can fill you in on today's events. After I pissed off Hiwatari and showed him to be the **fool (I shot a quick glance at a glowering Kai before continuing quickly)**, Toji, Eris, Tamayo, and I headed to our usual afternoon ice cream shop. It was by pure chance that we left a little later than usual. If we had left soon, we wouldn't have chanced upon Thomas and Celia screaming. Luckily we did and we rushed to see what had happened. What we saw was four blades ripping at them like past rogue bladers' attacks. By then, I've faced many Skullz members to be able to recognize it as their style of attack. I was mostly angry but also puzzled because I thought I had forced them to go into hiding last summer."

"I engaged one of the thugs in a one-on-one match with the standard blade I received today. It was merely luck that I had a blade and launcher on me and was able to protect them. After bashing him around, the other three decided to join and it ended as a battle of four against one. I was having a hard time and there was the possibility of me loosing. Then Esilé returned to me."

I smiled fondly at the memory and faintly felt Esilé thrum with happiness over the mind link.

"She helped me defeat the thugs even though I had to lock her away at the end of summer after I had temporarily removed the Skullz from their position of power. She healed me and the children so that's why only our clothes were ripped."

After I finished telling my tale, I looked at them expectantly. I had said all I needed to, except for Eris' request of a more detailed recounting of my adventure last summer.

"How did you force the Skullz into hiding last summer?" Robert asked. He appeared to be in deep concentration.

"I did the good old hit and run technique. It was one of me against 100 or so of them. They couldn't find who it was and started attacking each other in panic. As their members drifted apart and lost their trust in each other, thinking it's someone in their organization, I used their confusion to my advantage. Once I had their boss in sight, I sent in Esilé for the final attack. To put it lightly: **She scared them shitless**."

I smirked at the memory before sighing.

"If you're thinking about using the same strategy again, it won't work. It's too recent and won't be as effective as the first time, if it works at all. Based on past experiences, it'll just piss them off and cause them to be more brutal and aggressive."

"Based on the past experiences, they will start attacking monthly and then within three months, they'll start attacking weekly. After getting their confidence up over a period of time, they will start attacking daily. We cannot let that happen. This time, I can't do it by myself. I was hoping that you guys would help me. The only problem I see is how I'm suppose to keep in contact with all of you without raising suspicion. School is definitely too risky. There are too many witnesses, especially when we team up with you guys without complaints during gym, so that only leaves before school, after school, and weekends. Any ideas?"

"Jobs," Kai said shortly.

"What?" Tamayo asked quizzically.

"Two members, one of yours and one of ours, can get jobs at the same please and meet either daily or weekly, depending on their job. They can communicate using a code of words that would normally be said during the job but each phrase a hidden meaning. We don't need everyone to get in contact in order to pass on information," Kai explained slowly, making sure that everyone understood his plan perfectly. After a thoughtful pause, Kai added, "It would be most convenient if they work in a bookstore."

"Why a bookstore?" Eris wondered.

"Because we can easily place paper all over the store without raising suspicion. We can place notes in books and let the other know where to find it," Reine realized, surprised at how quickly Kai had solved their dilemma before adding onto his idea.

"It would be more convenient if the messengers have the same shifts. The question, now, is who are going to get the jobs?"

* * *

**Normal POV**

Tamayo trudged down the street towards her new job.

"Stupid game. I had to draw the shortest straw," she muttered sourly to herself, "I wonder who I'm paired up wit– Oof! Hey! Watch were you're goin– Valkov? What're you doing here?"

"I'm working here," he stated dully.

"Great just great! I'm stuck with you! Does god hate me?"

"No, he hates me because he had to pair me with an annoyingly loud midget."

"Well I was paired with a cynical jerk. I think I got the worse end of the deal."

Tala shot her a cold look.

"How about we don't talk to each other and just do our jobs? Just spare me from your stupidity."

"Sounds good to me, asshole."

Tamayo shuffled aimlessly through the shop. A twinkling bell informed her of a customer. She hurried to the front desk to be met by a masked man wielding a sharp beyblade. She felt herself freeze in fear. She had left her beyblade and launcher in a cupboard, along with the rest of her stuff, in the staffs' locker room.

"Hey wench, did yo–" Tala trailed off as he walked out from behind a bookcase and saw the situation at hand. His eyes narrowed marginally as the situation registered in his mind. His hand strayed back to grab his launcher from his belt as he retreated into the shadow of the bookcase, careful to remain hidden from view until he's prepared. He quickly and silently pulled out Wolborg and attached it to his launcher. A small click was heard as he slid in his ripcord. He cursed the job vehemently because it forced him to leave his gun launcher at home. He only had his standard one, which wouldn't give him much of an advantage. Wolborg, on the other hand, would.

Stepping out silently from the shadow of the bookcase, Tala's called out in an icy tone as he spoke in a threatening manner.

"Put the blade and launcher down before I pummel you into a bloody pulp. Your death will be slow and painful if you resist, but if you comply, I will consider giving you a quick and painless death."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Another cliffy! What will happen? Will Tala emerge victorious or will Tamayo get ripped to bloody shreds? Don't miss the next update!

If you want news on pairings, I'm sorry to say that I haven't finalized couples yet. I don't know if I want straight love or some drama like love triangles. Currently, the plot's turning interesting and I'm trying to work in some pairings even thought it's still uncertain if they're going to be permanent.

* * *

**Case Note:**

In case you didn't notice, this chapter brings together all the reactions from the previous chapters. If you can't see the connection, read the following paragraph:

The reason Reine was considered more withdrawn at the beginning of the fic was because she lost her faith in beyblading. She was traumatized by her house collapsing on her twin her and during the BEGA tournament. Later on, in the aftermath confusion of the worldwide damaged caused by the BEGA tournament, the Skullz took advantage and got out of hand. They were slaughtering people left and right with beyblades. She decided to take up beyblading and started training again to stop them. She manages to scare them out of commission when working solo. Since tension was still high and lots of hostility was thrown at bladers, she decided to give up beyblading rather than being at risk of being labeled as a murderer and outcast. She locked Esilé in a box in her attic and slowly grew more isolated than she was after the BEGA tournament because the bond between them was strong. By severing her connection with beyblading, she lost interest in life, so when the BBA chose Bakuten as the start of the beta testing for their new program, she came in contact with the sport again and returned to her normal self. By now, the tension and hostility had died down to intense hatred. Since she didn't want to risk placing her family and friends in the direct line of fire of the pent up hatred, she played badly against Kai and denied knowing how to blade. When she found Thomas and Celia under attack, she lost herself in her anger and wanted to protect them therefore revealing her beyblading abilities. (That was her secret: She knew how to blade) Her intense desire of wanting to protect the children called her bitbeast into from her old blade and into her new one, even though it was locked in a box in the attic. She was partnered with Esilé again and this brings us back to the current plot. She had gathered bladers, from all over the world, in her hometown (courtesy of the BBA beta testing program) and had taken the position as group leader to rally against this unknown organization that sponsors and funds rogue beyblade teams, like the Skullz. She forgets past grudges and forgives past mistakes as she allies herself with her longtime 'enemies', professional beybladers, to take down the source of the problems.

* * *

Could you catch my hints throughout the previous chapters? Good job if you did because it's kind of hard to notice them. I had a hard time slipping them in and I might not have done a good job of fitting them. I'm sorry if I confused you. E-mail me if you need clarification, otherwise the plot relationship is in the paragraph above.

Thanks **whyamidoingthis01** for another great review! I'll be happy to update as soon as possible. Thanks for being a devoted reader!

Please **R&R**!

Rand-chan


	6. Of Koalas and Bobcats

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 6 – Of Koalas and Bobcats**

**Normal POV**

Tamayo's eyes widened upon hearing Tala's death threat. She saw his blue eyes harden and his lips tighten until they were a thin, white line. She shivered at his cold gaze. The thug had no chance.

"No chance, mate**(1)**," the thug drawled, his voice thickened by his heavy accent, **(AN: I'm sure you know where he's from. :-D)** "I got my orders. Get out of my way before I hurt youse**(2)**. Killing youse will be a like taking a lolly**(3)** from a baby."

"Not a chance," Tala snapped, a feral snarl twisting his face to a mask of anger. Quickly sliding into launching position, he yanked on the ripcord and yelled, "WOLBORG!" as his white blade flew at the unsuspecting thug.

"Uh, uh, uh!" the thug reprimanded, pulling out his ripcord so that his blade would stop Tala's from slicing him, "Aren't we impatient, mate? If you're looking for a barney**(4)**, you've got one! Plonked**(5)** Koala attack** (AN: The name of the attack without the slang is "Drunk Koala".)**! Wallop**(6)** him!"

The thug's burgundy blade bashed Tala's white one into the bookshelf Tala was standing beside, grinding it mercilessly against the hard wood. As quickly as the attack came, the burgundy blade backed off and wobbled crazily. Tala stared on in confusion. He hadn't attacked the blade and it was teetering on the edge of defeat. As soon as Tala blinked, the blade had disappeared only to announce its reappearance again by knocking Wolborg sharply past Tala's face, clipping him on the cheek. Quickly turning, Tala watched as Wolborg crashed into the far wall, pushed mercilessly by the burgundy blade against the wood walls, its sharp attack ring grinding slowly into his chipping defense ring.

"That's right, Kolper! Show the larrikan**(7)** who's his nibs**(8)**!"

Tala gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't understand the strange thug's slang-filled commands. It's putting him in a disadvantage. Tamayo, taking advantage of the situation, slipped away and hid behind the front desk and crawled into the staff's locker room. Quickly finding her cupboard, she dug through her schoolbag and took out Eris' pink razor.

"Thank god Eris persuaded me to take her cell phone with me. Her nosiness actually came in handy."

Quickly dialing Reine's home number, she heard a groggy voice grunt.

" Hello?"

"Reine? This is Tamayo. We're in trouble at the bookstore. Apparently the Skullz sent another thug to leave a warning message to the public about their comeback. Tala's currently battling him and but the look of things, loosing quite badly. Please get your sleepy arse out here! We need Esilé!"

At once the voice on the other side of the line became alert.

"Tala's battling the thug? I'll be right there. Wait for me and _don't do anything stupid_."

With that said, Tamayo heard Reine hang up.

Leaning back against the wooden cupboards, she contemplated what she could do to help Tala. The smartest thing to do was to not get in his way, but by the look of things, he wouldn't be alive by the time Reine got here. Remembering her beyblade, Tamayo quickly stood and rummaged through her school bag again to repair with a granite-colored beyblade and white launcher. The blade was more inclined towards attacks. Its speed was quite high because of its light build, which hindered its defense, boosted mobility and endurance. Her longer than average ripcord gave her an advantage in speed right after the launch, giving her an evasive defense rather than a solid one. Tala had worked with her mercilessly during gym, and for once, she was grateful.

Quickly sliding in her ripcord and loading her blade onto her launcher, she crept out of the staff room onto the battlefield. Tala had multiple cuts and Wolborg was only still spinning weakly. It seemed like the burgundy blade was still continuing with its 'Plonked Koala' attack. It's wobbling dangerously one minute and viciously attacking the next, almost as if it's drunk.

"That's it!" Tamayo cried. Tala spared her a quick glance before the burgundy blade cut into his flesh again, making a new cut on his already battered form.

"Tala! Listen up! The blade is attacking as if it's drunk! Unsteady one minute but viciously aggressive the next! It's an attack meant to confuse the opponent!"

As Tala heard this, her words clicked. It was so simple! How could he have missed it?

"All right. Wolborg! Novae Rog!"

A huge blizzard filled the bookstore, piling snow in small drifts along the carpeted floor, soaking Tamayo to the bone. Tala smirked. He was in his element now.

"Well, would you look at that? The larrikan has skill, but can you stand up to the full power of my Kolper? VICIOUS FURPHY**(9)**! **(AN: The name of the attack without the slang is "Vicious Rumour".)**

Suddenly, the freezing winds of created by the blizzard started to whip faster around the trio. The thug looked calm as if the cold didn't effect him at all. Tamayo's lips had turned blue and she hugged her body, trying to keep as much body heat as possible. Tala stood unaffected. He's is used to these conditions from growing up in Russia.

Suddenly, voices started whispering around the room, saying vicious things. The volume increased as time went by until Tamayo lay on the floor, curled in fetal position whispering, "It's not true. It's not true. It's not true…" over and over again.

Tala fared slightly better. He was used to these mental attacks due to his harsh upbringing in the abbey.

_"You're a murderer! You killed my family. You know you enjoyed slaughtering all those poor excuse of bladers."_

Slowly, the voice starting to mold itself into the familiar, cold, sneering voice of Boris.

_"You are useless, boy! You can't do anything right. No wonder your parents threw you out! If I was them, I wouldn't even had you in the first place!"_

Shaking his head vigorously in hope of clearing it, he stared blearily at the smirking thug before him.

"The truth hurts doesn't it, mate? Ready to cark it**(10)**? I'll kill you first then your pathetic girlfriend."

Overwhelmed by the whispering voices, Tala felt himself loose it.

"SHUT UP! WOLBORG! SPECTER'S DANCE! **(AN: I'm going to make up some moves for all the bladers because they only have one or two. It'll make things a bit more interesting, ne? For some bladers, I don't even have information on their attacks. Please bear with me. If you have any idea what attacks Johnny, Enrique, and Oliver use, please leave a review with the list or simply e-mail it to me. Thanks!)**

With a blast of white light, a snow-white wolf appeared; its fierce gaze focused on the calm thug. Slowly, the blizzard began to die until the roaring winds ceased all together. Panting heavily, Tala glared at the smug man, anger burning in his usually icy eyes.

"You will pay. ATTACK!"

Wolborg began its haunting attack. Swaying from side to side, Wolborg's taunting eyes stared at its smirking prey, promising death. Little by little, the ice wolf became translucent and soon vanished, appearing here and there. You can only see it from the corner of your eyes, unable to actually pinpoint his actual location.

The burgundy blade just spun in defense position, bracing itself from the oncoming slaughter, unsure where the wolf will strike next.

"NOW! Attack Wolborg!"

"KOLPER! Raging Cannon!"

A burgundy light shot out of the blade as a huge, brown koala stared down the white wolf, its black, beady eyes full of intelligence. It mouth opened as a yellow ball of energy was gathered. Obviously, it's preparing its final attack.

"WOLBORG! Novae Rog!" Tala called, putting all his energy into to his wolf, giving him an extra energy boost.

"ATTACK!" the two bladers called simultaneously.

The huge, brown koala released its energy ball, hitting Wolborg directly as Wolborg released his blast of subzero wind, freezing the koala. With a howl, Wolborg retreated back into his blade as it stopped spinning while the burgundy one wobbled before continuing to spin weakly.

"Game over, mate, and it looks like I won. Now, you're going to cark it and the good thing is I don't need my bitbeast to kill you."

As he said this, his burgundy blade flew up to carved Tala into little pieces. Suddenly, a gray beyblade it knocked it away just as it was about to hit Tala. Surprised, Tala looked up to find Tamayo standing there with a determined look on her face, a white launcher in her hand.

"Since your bitbeast is out of commission, thanks to Tala, I can take you on! Attack!"

Tamayo concentrated on her blade like Tala taught her to, pouring her emotions into the rapidly spinning blade as it charged the wobbling burgundy blade.

"Even without my bitbeast, I can wallop you in a beybattle! Go Kolper!"

The burgundy blade regained its spin as the gray beyblade slammed into it. Tamayo clenched her hands tightly, feeling the blood pump quickly through her veins. She felt her shirt start sticking to her as she started to sweat. Ripping off her arm warmers, her silver charm bracelet jingled. Furrowing her brows, Tamayo faintly remember deciding to put it on today because she felt the need to, not really knowing why. She had gotten it from her grandmother on her 13th birthday. Grandma had said that this charm was lucky, it was special.

As the single charm caught the light, she saw the crouched figure of the bobcat glisten encouragingly. Now determined to win the battle, and save Tala's sorry butt, she set her mouth into a stubborn line, refusing to give an inch as she barely dodged the rapid assault of her opponent.

"Scared little girl? You're no better than that larrikan boyfriend of yours."

A vein popped on her temple, throbbing dangerously.

"How dare you say that I'm that asshole's **(pointing back at Tala)** girlfriend! I'll castrate you with my bare hands!"

"You should be happy to be labeled as such. You wouldn't be able to get a boyfriend anyway," Tala snapped back, wondering why he's so worked up over something like that. **(AN: I wonder why? xD Hehehe.)**

"Shut up, Valcov. I sure as hell can get a boyfriend, one that will be much better than you!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Yeah! Got a problem with that?"

"Hell no! You're on!"

The thug watched the exchange in amusement.

"Ah. Young love," he teased, smirking at the fuming pair.

"SHUT THE HELL UP ASSHOLE!" they shouted, both flipping him the bird.

Tamayo turned away from Tala, outraged at his insults. Channeling all her anger into her wobbling blade, it picked up its spin as it continued to batter the thug's burgundy one. A sudden splitting sound alerted Tamayo to a newfound, or in this case, an old danger. The ice incasing his large bitbeast was cracked and crumbling, releasing the brown koala from its icy prison.

"CRAP!" Tamayo cursed. She's in deep shit now. Where is Reine when you need her?

She watched with wide eyes as the huge beast bore down on her, giving her no room to escape. Meanwhile, the burgundy blade took the temporarily lull between the attacks of the gray beyblade to pummel it into a frozen bookcase, chipping away at its deteriorating defense ring. The oversized koala reached back and swiped at Tamayo with sharpened claws. Flinching fearfully, Tamayo brought up her arms to shield her face from the oncoming onslaught. Suddenly, a gray beam shot out of the charm on her bracelet. An ear-splitting roar filled the room as a huge bobcat appeared, its body covered with black spots and dark gray stripes. The tufts of fur on both its pointed ears were the color of obsidian. Its vibrant green eyes glared coldly at the opposing koala as its short tail bristled angrily.

* * *

**Tamayo's POV (AN: A new point of view :D)**

I looked up in surprised awe as the magnificent cat protecting me, snarling fiercely at the overbearing koala.

"Well would you look at that! The girl has claws!"

The thug laughed raucously at his joke. I paid him no heed as an eerie silence seemed to fall on me. The world disappeared so that is was just me and the bobcat.

_'Who are you?'_ I heard myself think. The question echoed around us as if it was spoken, echoing through the dark void. The darkness pressed in on me as I stared deeply into the soulful eyes of the creature.

**/My name is Ciatra and I am your guardian spirit, a bitbeast in other words./**

I stared up at her in surprise as a purring voice filled my head, washing me in a wave of comfort.

_'You really want me as your partner?' _I asked, dumbfounded. I've never been chosen to before.

**/They are foolish not to choose you./** She replied harshly as if she read my thoughts.

**/Yes, I can hear your thoughts just as you hear mine. Will you be willing to fight alongside me, little one/**

I can only nod stupidly as I heard her request. I can't believe that someone was willing enough to be with me, even courage enough to share mind space with me. I was known to have weird random thoughts and many of my previous classmates were unnerved by them.

**/Then they are fools for fearing you because you're different. That is what makes you special. I doubt you will unnerve me because I find your thought amusing yet surprisingly deep./**

I blushed at the compliment. I really like Ciatra.

**/Now it is time to battle as equals. Are you ready/**

Putting on a determined face, I nodded. Suddenly, my senses were attacked violently as the world came into focus. Shaking my head quickly, I reintroduced myself to the current situation. The brown koala was still towering over me as Ciatra protected me. It seemed like that conversation only lasted one second if not less.

**/Call out my special attack./** I heard Ciatra whisper soothingly.

_'But I don't know what it is!'_ I heard myself panic over our mind link.

**/Just clear your mind and focus. It'll come to you./** Her voice faded into the back of my mind ask I felt it clear. A sudden rush of power poured over me as I heard myself shout, "CRY OF THE WILDBEAST!"

Ciatra gave a feral growl before she pounced on the startled Koala, pinning it down on the ground. Without hesitating, it gave an ear-splitting roar, different from the previous one. The one, before, reflected anger while this contained triumph. I wasn't sure how I could tell the difference, somehow, I just knew.

As the roar died down, a series of smaller roars filled the air. Suddenly many forest spirits appeared and started attacking the defenseless koala as Ciatra continued to pin it down. It gave a cry in agony as a particularly ferocious badger bitbeast bit him on the ear. More and more woodland animals appeared. Some flew while others slithered, but regardless of shape, size, and ability, they were all were constantly attacking the unfortunate bitbeast. With a final cry, the koala bitbeast disappeared back into its blade as the burgundy blade stopped spinning from the bashing the gray one gave it.

Snarling ferally, the bobcat turned towards the defeated thug whose jaw was hanging open at the display of power.

"It's not possible! You can only have one bitbeast!" he managed to splutter, obviously scared now that his overgrown bear wasn't there to defend him.

"I do. I have Ciatra," I heard myself reply calmly, "The rest of the spirits showed up because that's my attack. Ciatra is the queen of the woodlands and these are her subjects. They come to her aide whenever she calls."

_'How do I know that?'_ I thought, startled.

**/Because your sharing my mind just as I'm sharing yours. It's an equal trade/** came her warm reply. I nodded in acknowledgement. **/Don't worry little one. I shall watch this pitiful creature. Examine your friend for wounds./**

I nodded and headed over to where Tala had fallen earlier from the brute's bashing. He was gaping wide-eyed at me.

"You have a bitbeast?" he managed to ask.

"No, that's just some apparition made up by your imagination due to your lose of blood," I said sarcastically before rolling my eyes, "Of _course_, that's my bitbeast! What did you think it was? A pet?"

He glared angrily at me.

"So what are we going to do with him?" Tala asked and jerked his head at the trembling figure.

"We can unmask him and torture him until he tells us what we need to know. You guys can take him for questioning. I can't really keep him at my house. It's not as if I can go home and say 'Hey mom! I brought home a thug for dinner to interrogate. We'll be up in my room!'"

"Do me a favor and just shut up," Tala mumbled as he pulled himself up, dusting the snow off his jeans.

"And this is the thanks I get for saving your sorry arse," I muttered, glaring at his retreating back as he walked up to the thug. Pulling off the mask revealed an orange-haired teen about our age.

_'I thought he was a man!'_

I gaped at him as he smiled apprehensively.

"Uh…g'day**(11)**?"

"What's your name?" Tala asked coldly as the teen grinned nervously.

"Durby. I'm Durby Bulloch."

"What are you?" I asked curiously at his slang and dialect.

He beamed at my observation. He's quite strange for a rogue blader.

"I'm an Aussie!" he declared proudly as I 'oh'ed in recognition.

"Who do you work for?" Tala continued, ignoring my indignant glare.

He grimaced as he pulled up the sleeve of his leather jacket to show a tattoo of a skull.

"So you _are_ a Skullz member, just as I thought," I said, my voice turning cold upon remember what happened yesterday. He may be strange, but he's just as cruel as the four brutes Reine fought off yesterday. Durby only nodded in response, bowing his head as if he's ashamed of it.

"I'm calling Robert to come pick him up and interrogate him. He might have vital information on their leader, which might lead us to their sponsor organization.

"I have Eris' razor in my bag. It's hot pink. You can't miss it."

I saw him shrug in response before I turned to look at my new partner. I felt myself glow with pride. Appearing a few minutes later, Tala returned and announced, "Robert will be here in five with some of the others. I'm going outside to meet them."

I stood up and glared at him.

"No you're not. _I_'m going to be the one waiting outside because I'm not the one who looked like I've been to hell and back. People might get suspicious. Ciatra will watch Durby for me when I'm gone. You can join her."

With that said, I turned on my heel and walked out the door only to double back and ask, "What car are they driving?"

Tala rolled his eyes as he replied, "Silver Mitsubishi. **(AN: I don't know cars and I'm only saying a familiar name so don't get mad at me if I write something wrong.)**"

Nodding once, I returned outside to look for a silver car driven by a purple-haired German. I don't know much about cars so that's what I have to go by. If they change drivers or the color of the car, I'm screwed.

A few minutes later, I caught sight of a silver car park by the sidewalk a couple of feet away from the shop. I looked on curiously as I saw Robert, Kai, Johnny, and Brooklyn step out of the car and head towards me.

"What happened to you? You look like shit," Johnny said bluntly as I glared at him.

"Oh, just kicking some Skullz ass and saving Tala's sorry butt," I replied carelessly, ignoring the incredulous looks they shot each other. As they walked in, I realized that I forgot to warn them about Ciatra.

"Also, don't worry about the huge bobcat! She's with me!" I called after their retreating back only to hear an ear-splitting roar break the silence of the street. Visibly wincing, I walked in after them. The sight that met my eyes was hilarious. Tala had turned to tell them about Durby when Ciatra roared so Robert and Johnny, who were in the lead, ended up on the their butts. They lay sprawled on the icy floor, using their arms to prop themselves up. Kai and Brooklyn had their eyes wide open as they both took her in, stepping back only to bump into me.

"What? I warned you," I said sourly, rubbing my shoulder where Kai had bumped it into a protruding corner of a bookcase.

"Warning are meant to be given early, not when you happen upon the subject of the warning," Robert said faintly, still staring at my new bitbeast.

I shrugged.

"Sorry. I forgot," I said simply, walking up to Ciatra. I stooped down and picked up Durby's fallen blade. I walked up to him and held out my hand.

"Launcher," I said simply as he handed me his light brown launcher, his hand shaking profusely as he raised it.

"Thanks."

Turning back to face Ciatra, I established a mind link again.

_'Thanks for your help, Ciatra.'_

**/It is my honor and pleasure, little one./**

With a bright flash, Ciatra disappeared back into her blade before it flew back into my hands. When no one moved, I snapped, "You can secure him now. No more big bitbeasts to attack you and eat you alive."

"Ha. Ha." I heard Brooklyn laugh dryly.

I rolled my eyes and walked into the staff's locker room.

"Tala, someone has to clean the shop before the workers of the next shift arrives."

"What! Why do I have to do it? What about you!"

"What about me? I saved your sorry ass didn't I? Be grateful and cover me this once. Reine was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago and she hasn't arrived yet. What if Durby wasn't working alone? I need to see if she's okay."

I looked up as I walked back out with my stuff. Tala was staring at me.

"Reine's coming here?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I called her when the stupid koala was bashing your blade. She told me she would be here in ten minutes, but it's been 30 and she still isn't here. I'm worried. Something might've happened."

Tala nodded.

"Okay, I'll cover for you."

I beamed at him.

"Thanks Tala!"

Just as I was about to walk through the door, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned around to see Kai and Brooklyn.

"What?" I asked.

"We're coming with you," Kai said as Brooklyn nodded, "You might need our help. If Tala was defeated, then there might be more of them like that out there. Tala is one of our best bladers. You're not experienced and this win might've been a fluke. No matter how powerful the bitbeast it, it's only as strong as it's human partner."

I looked solemnly at him and nodded.

"We mustn't waste anytime. Time is of the essence. Who know what trouble Reine is in now? She might be powerful, but she's only human."

They nodded and Brooklyn called back, "Tala! Robert! Johnny! Kai and I are going with Tamayo to check on Reine. I think you guys can handle the punk, right?"

"Right. Be careful," Robert said as he securely tied Durby's hands behind his back.

"I have his blade and launcher so he shouldn't have anymore weapons on him. Pat him down, anyway, incase there are more," I advised, knowing very well how brutal the Skullz organization is.

_'They'll hit you when you least expect it,'_ I thought darkly.

Turning around quickly, I ran through the door followed by Kai and Brooklyn. It was getting dark. Quickly glancing at my wristwatch, I saw that it was 7:15 p.m. Cursing under my breath, I picked up the pace and started on mile journey through the city towards the Tanaka household.

_'Wait for us Reine. We're coming!'

* * *

_

**Reine's POV**

A shrill ringing sound broke my peaceful slumber. Grumbling to myself about stupid phones destroying precious naptimes, I reached out and groped for the phoned on my nightstand.

"Hello?" I mumbled sleepily, disgruntled that my beauty sleep was disturbed.

"Reine?" a frantic voice called, "This is Tamayo. We're in trouble at the bookstore. Apparently the Skullz sent another thug to leave a warning message to the public about their comeback. Tala's currently battling him and but the look of things, loosing quite badly. Please get your sleepy arse out here! We need Esilé!"

By now, I was wide-awake.

"Tala's battling the thug? I'll be right there. Wait for me and _don't do anything stupid_," I commanded, knowing that she would anyway. I hung up and started searching for some dark clothes.

_'That girl never learns.'_

After pulling on a black turtleneck sweater and black sweatpants, I quickly brushed my hair.

_'Ugh. I hate having bed heads.'_

Grabbing my blade and launcher from my nightstand, I slipped into my black converses and headed out. I paced myself to run the mile to her bookstore.

_'Please be okay Tamayo,'_ I silently begged.

**/She'll be fine little one./** Esilé spoke soothingly, her seven melodious voices responding simultaneously in a perfect chord.

_'I hope your right, Esilé.'_

Halfway there, I heard the sound of a spinning blade as I passed a dark alley. Doubling back, I squinted deep into the shadows. A cry of pain echoed from the farthest end. Thinking no further, I darted inside.

"You are pitifully weak!" I heard a malicious voice snarl as a whimper of pain broke the silence once again.

"Now die!"

Quickening my pace, I saw two figures under a dim streetlight at the dead end of the alley. A girl with short pink hair was crouched there while an onyx beyblade attacked her, drawing blood every time it touched her flesh. A soft, evil chuckle came from the cloaked figure standing before her. I faintly noticed a pink beyblade lying off on the side

"Go in for the kill!" I heard the cloaked figure command.

Without wasting time, I slid in my ripcord and attached my beyblade before launching hastily to knock away his blade. My orange and white blade spun protectively in front of the injured girl.

"Who dares to interrupt Destruction as he kills his victim?" I heard the voice snarl.

_'Definitely a male,'_ I noted, knowing that it might be handy later on if I had to look him up. Stepping out of the shadow, I stared boldly into his face. He was wearing a metal mask representing a skull.

_'He's a high-ranking Skullz officer. He probably has a strong bitbeast. Esilé, be ready for anything.'_

**/I'm ready young one. I'll appear as you call./**

"I dare," I spoke boldly, watching his body for signs of what he might do next. He started to chuckle again.

"Two deaths in one day. What mighty fine luck I have."

I gagged at his statement.

_'How can anyone enjoy murder so much?'_

"In order to kill me, you have to defeat me first," I said coldly, keeping one eye on him and the other on his onyx blade.

"We'll see, girly. Obstruction! Attack!"

Instead of heading for my blade, his blade headed straight more me.

_'Crap! He plays dirty!'_

Quickly dodging the blade, I silently commanded mine to attack me. As the onyx blade headed for me again, I ducked and allowed my blade, which is spinning so quickly that it's an orange blur, slam into his onyx one forcing against the brick wall behind me. The onyx blade quickly broke away and started to climb up the wall and fire escape. I made Esilé follow him. Suddenly, he flipped off the wall straight at me. Moving quickly, what should've been a deep gash in my abdomen turned out to be a thin cut down my thigh.

_'Another set of clothes down the drain. I really need to stop wearing my favorites.'_

I faintly heard Esilé roar in anger. Mentally pacifying her, promising her revenge once he attacks again, I slowly made my way over to my spinning blade. As his blade rebounded off the opposite wall to attack me again, I heard myself shout, "Esilé! Block him now!"

Esilé slammed the blade towards the masked man causing it to leave a deep mark on his steel, skull mask.

"You will pay, girl, for your insolence," he threatened lowly as he removed it from his face, "No one attempts to hurt Destruction and lives."

_'Doesn't he like to talk in third person?'_

**/Now's not the time to joke around, little one/** Esilé snapped.

_'Sorry. It's my way of calming myself down. I've never faced a high ranked Skullz member before. From what I see, they are a lot more power than the grunts.'_

**/Yes. I can feel a powerful evil aura emitting from the blade. It feels…tainted./**

I eyed the man wearily.

_'I don't know if I can take him down alone.'_

**/But you're not alone, child. I'm here with you./**

I sent a thankful wave through my mind link.

_'I know I'm never alone and never will be.'_

"Obstruction! Dark hole!"

Quickly examining my surroundings, I noticed that he's now attacking both blade and blader. A black fog started to surround all three of us, enclosing us from the outside world.

"Welcome to my world where all your nightmares come true!" he cackled maniacally. A dark violet beam shot out of the center bitchip of his blade to reveal an obsidian king cobra. It hissed dangerously, its think coils wrapped around the laughing man. Its body was a thick as a sapling oak and from what I can see, it's 100 percent muscle.

"Scared, little girl? Don't have a beast to protect you? Your mistake, now you DIE! Obstruction! Venom Fang!"

As his king cobra struck at me, I shouted, "Esilé! Mist of Illusion!"

An aqua beam shot out of my blade to reveal my hydra bitbeast, all seven of its magnificent head roaring dangerously at the snake. A thick fog rolled in and hid us from sight. Taking the chance to go and help the pink-haired girl, I rushed over and helped her to her feet as well as snatch up her pink beyblade. A hiss informed me that I'm not alone. I looked up to stare into the dilated yellow pupils of the king cobra. I was rooted to my spot, trapped by its seducing gaze.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Tamayo, Kai, Brooklyn was halfway to Tanaka household when a mysterious fog rolled in and obstructed their vision. A loud cursing came from Tamayo's right as Kai ran into a pole. Tamayo and Brooklyn snickered only to curse in pain when they both ran into a parked car. Now it was Kai's turn to smirk, but they wouldn't have been able to see it because the fog was so thick that they can't see their hands if it was a foot in front of them. Cursing their luck, all three of them picked themselves up. Walking a lot slower than usual, the trio made their way down the street until Brooklyn cursed as he walked into the wall of an alleyway. As Tamayo doubled-over laughing, she heard a familiar roar down the alley.

"Hey isn't that Esilé?" she asked out loud.

"Esilé?" Kai asked.

"Oh, oops. I forgot you guys didn't know. Esilé is Reine's hydra bitbeast. I know you heard Reine talk about her a couple nights ago as she told you about Thomas and Celia. She didn't really elaborate on what kind it was. Just to let you now, it's _huge_"

"Are you sure that it really is Esilé?" Brooklyn questioned.

"Yes. I _know_ that it's Esilé. No bitbeast has a call like that. It sounded like it came from farther down in the alley."

The bladers groped their way down the alley. The farther they went, the denser the fog seemed to be. Suddenly, the group can make out give figures in the fog ahead. Two of the figures were standing together, one supporting the other. The third figure stood off to the side, it was a lot taller then the previous two. The two remaining figures were a lot bigger and they were long and coiled, obviously bitbeasts.

A sudden gust of wind revealed a seven-headed sea serpent and what made Tamayo's eyes widen was the sight of Reine supporting a pink-haired girl with a huge obsidian king cobra towering over her ready to strike.

"Is that Mathilda?" Brooklyn asked.

"If she is, then both Reine and Mathilda are in serious danger," Kai said gravely, pulling out his launcher followed by Tamayo and Brooklyn.

* * *

**Everyone's Guide to Australian Slang:**

**(1)** Mate - a general greeting term and familiar greeting amongst men whether a friend or total stranger  
**(2)** Youse – You all; kind of like the Texan "y'all"  
**(3)** Lolly – candy  
**(4)** Barney – fight or argument  
**(5)** Plonked – drunk  
**(6)** Wallop – thrash in a fight  
**(7)** Larrikan – a rowdy irresponsible and rascally boy or young man  
**(8)** His nibs – the boss, or the head of a group  
**(9)** Furphy – a rumour  
**(10) **Cark it – die  
**(11)** G'day – hello

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I guess I'm addicted to cliffies. xD It makes more people keep reading.

The plot thickens when a high-ranked officer is sent out to set an example. Is there a particular reason why someone so important to the organization is sent to do a grunt's work? Why is Durby so different? Is he really what he's makes himself as? **(Foreshadow)** Wait for the next update to see what happens to Mathilda and Reine to see if they live through Obstruction's attack.

Thanks **DaCow Takao** and **whyamidoingthis01** for the reviews! And for the rest of you readers out there, I would really like it if you guys also review. :-( I really want some feedback on how my story's going and how I can make it better. Thanks to those of you who have sent in suggestions!

Please **R&R**!

Rand-chan


	7. Past Remembrances

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **Still uncertain but I'll work it out soon so just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 7 – Past Remembrances**

**Reine's POV**

I stood there helplessly as I watched the king cobra rear back and lung at the pink-haired girl and me. Suddenly, a blue beyblade appeared and knocked the onyx blade belonging to Destruction off balance. The cobra missed us by inches after being thrown off balance. I took that opportunity to get the pink-haired girl and myself the hell out of there. Staggering under her dead weight, I made it back safely into the protective barrier of Esilé's muscled torso. She closed off the space by wrapping her finned tail to form a circle with us in the middle. Noticing that we were safe, she turned back to the battle.

I felt a shift in the surrounding water particles of the fog. There appears to be three blades moving around blindly in the alley space. Deciding to take action and attack Obstruction, I called to Esilé, "ESILÉ! SERPENT'S TWISTER!" Esilé roared in recognition. Her fourteen golden orbs started to glow brightly as the fog began to swirl, distorting the light shining through her eyes. Within minutes, all the water particles in the near vicinity were collected in a whirling mass of water. The massive water twister spiraled from my blade as Esilé revealed herself to the eyes of our foe. Her body was spotted here and there poking out of the twister while her seven heads were hanging out of the vortex in different positions. The mist, caused by the force the twister, surrounded her flowing manes, casting light on her glistening cerulean scales. Her fourteen golden orbs were still glowing eerily in the light drizzle of water caused by escaping water particles.

From my position in Esilé's embrace, I can make out the three foreign blades. Upon closer inspection, two of the three weren't so foreign.

_'That's Kai and Tamayo's blades. What are they doing here? Did Tamayo and Tala get away from the Skullz thug safely?'_

**/I can sense three presences behind us in the alleyway./**

I chanced a look behind me and sure enough, I caught sight of Kai's dual-colored hair and the vibrant red of Tamayo's hair. There was a ginger-haired head that I didn't recognize. A hissing sound brought me out of my musings.

"Well, well. The girl's got power, but can you use it? Obstruction! Shadow Nightmare!" The cobra reared up and started to sway from side to side. Two of Esilé's heads started to follow it, their pupils strangely dilated. Slowly, but surely, Esilé was being affected by his attack. Wasting no time, I called, "Release the twister! Aim at the cobra!" The five remaining heads roared and the twister exploded from its confines and spiraled dangerously at the cobra and its wielder. The attack made a direct hit, stopping the cobra from completing its attack. The two mesmerized heads shook themselves awake from their dream-like states and roared angrily.

"Reine!" I heard Tamayo call out to me as she, Kai, and the ginger-haired teen ran up to Esilé's coiled tail. They were on the other side, still in danger while Esilé protected me. Reading my thoughts, Esilé temporarily lifted her tail to allow the three bladers into her safe sanctuary.

"Are you okay?" Tamayo asked worriedly.

"I'm fine but I'm not sure about her," I replied, hefting the girl's arm around my shoulder again to secure her more tightly. As I said this, the ginger-haired teen was inspecting her.

"Mathilda's fine except for the multitude of cuts on her body," he announced as he finished his inspection.

"I would have Esilé heal her if she's conscious," I said ruefully.

"Why can't you heal her if she's unconscious?" Kai asked curiously.

"Esilé must have the person's consent so that they won't struggle when she heals them or something bad might happen. She has to cover the person with her aura in order to heal them, and since it's so powerful, a person must be conscious to avoid getting scared and overreacting once it slides over them. It's a safety precaution."

He nodded in understanding.

"So who's the cloaked freak?" Tamayo asked.

"A high-ranking Skullz officer. What I don't understand is why he's doing a grunt's job. They have more than enough rough bladers in their team to spare such a powerful weapon, but enough about my situation, what happened with the thug in the shop?"

"Oh him? We kicked his sorry arse and Tala, Robert, and Johnny are taking him back to the mansion for interrogation," Tamayo said lightly, waving the question aside.

Temporarily turning away from the conversation, I shouted, "Judgement of the Deep!"

Startled by my sudden command, the three bladers snapped their attention to me.

"Don't worry. The attack won't hurt you as long as you stay out of Esilé's line of fire. Don't want you to be incinerated, now do we? Oh! You guys better call your blades here."

Tamayo calmly called her blade to safety just as Esilé started charging for her attack. **(AN: If you want a thorough description of it, check out Chapter 4 – Challenge.)** The ginger-haired boy and Kai followed Tamayo's example after a couple seconds of hesitation, eyeing the destructive energy balls in the sea serpent's seven mouths.

"What do you mean 'incinerate'?" the ginger-haired boy asked nervously.

"Exactly what it means, Brooklyn," Tamayo said dryly, "You get vaporized except there's a pile of ash left over. Don't worry about it. I was there when she fired it last time and it didn't hurt anyone. It probably won't hurt the bitbeast or blader if they follow her directions."

I glanced at the ginger-haired boy I now know as Brooklyn.

_'So this is the person Tamayo was going on about being cute,'_ I thought, smirking to myself.

I looked up briefly to note that Esilé had finished charging. A quick glance at Destruction showed that he's still busy with our first attack.

"Okay Esilé! FIRE!"

The huge energy beam hurtled towards the unaware blader and bitbeast. Just like the time before, there was a hug explosion as the charged particles hit the pavement. As the dust cloud cleared, Brooklyn and Kai examined the damage with gaping mouths. Esilé had gotten stronger since the last battle judging by the size of the crater. The obsidian king cobra was no where to be seen as its onyx blade lay broken on the ground. The high-ranking Skullz officer was trapped inside the watery prison, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you. The charged particles will incinerate you on contact. If you try to evaporate it, the hydrogen gas will cause the bubble to explode like a miniature bomb," I told him casually.

Kai and Brooklyn visibly paled as they heard my explanation.

"So how would you escape?" Brooklyn asked cautiously.

I shrugged.

"You can't until I let you."

"So this move is basically invincible?" Kai asked incredulously.

"I don't know. Out of all the times I've used it, it has yet to fail me," I said truthfully, "Now that we've contained the situation, who has a cell phone?"

Tamayo promptly took Eris' pink razor out of her bag. As I called the police, Kai, Brooklyn, and Tamayo retrieved their blades. After I hung up, I handed it back to Tamayo.

"She needs a new phone that's a different color," I said as I shuddered, "That color is horrible!"

Tamayo nodded in agreement before beaming proudly at me. I cocked an eyebrow.

_'What is it this time? Better not be a piggyback ride.'_

**/I think it's something significant. I feel that she's different somehow, a bit more powerful./**

"I got a bitbeast!" she crowed happily before showing me her blade, "Her name is Ciatra! She's a gray bobcat!"

"Awesome Tamayo!" I cried happily, glad for my friend.

"I think I hear police sirens," Kai interrupted stoically, destroying our moment. We glared at him, but sure enough, we heard the sirens.

"Brooklyn, you're closest to the exit. Can you direct the police here?" I asked the ginger-haired boy.

"Sure."

He ran off to the entrance of the alleyway. A couple of minutes later, he returned with the two same officers as last time in tow.

"Well, we got another one I presume?" one of them asked, viewing the damage with a raised eyebrow, "What did I say about damaging public property?"

I smiled sheepishly.

"I couldn't help it. It was either the crater or us getting eaten alive by a giant king cobra."

"Right…Well, we know what to do. Whenever you're ready."

The bubble disappeared with a small pop and the police moved in to arrest the high-ranking officer.

"Might want to keep an eye on this one. He's pretty high on the status list," I informed them.

"Right. We'll keep that in mind," the cops said as he handcuffed Destruction's hand together and led him to the police patrol car. Esilé roared one last time before the fog rolled in to obscure her from sight and dissipating seconds later with Esilé no where in sight. Silently calling my orange and white blade back, I turned to face the others before shifting Mathilda's weight from my left shoulder to my right.

"Do we wake her up or take her back to the mansion? Either way, she needs treatment, fast. She's loosing a lot of blood."

"I'll carry her," Brooklyn offered before stooping down so I can place her on his back piggyback style. We headed towards the closest destination, which happened to the mansion, in silence as I pondered our dilemma.

_'Why are they sending out these important people? The usual rogue bladers they send don't have bitbeasts. Does it have something to do with this beta-testing program?'_

With a jolt, I realized their motives.

"We need to call a meeting!" I suddenly blurted out. Kai's eyebrows raised at my random comment.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's urgent. I don't have time to repeat myself. Putting it shortly, all of you are in danger and will end up like Mathilda if we aren't careful. I'm sure that thug you guys captured earlier will verify my observation even if he won't tell us about their plans. Let's meet everyone at 8:15 p.m. tonight. Tamayo and I will pass the information on to Eris and Toji another time. Right now, it mainly concerns bladers, which are mainly us."

"Fine. How are you going to get everyone home by 8:15 p.m.?" Kai asked woodenly, obviously skeptical about the urgency of the situation.

"That's where you and Brooklyn come in. You guys know everyone's numbers right? Call the ones that aren't home and tell them to meet us in the mention at 8 p.m. Most of them shot be there already considering that it's a weekday."

Glowering at me, Kai said stiffly, "I don't do phone calls. It's like being a secretary and I won't steep so low."

"Don't be such a whiny brat, Kai," I snapped impatiently, "This is very important. Do you want your teammates to end up in critical condition or possibly dead? If not, then you will hurry up and do what I ask." I matched his glare with one of mine.

"Fine! Give me the god damn phone," he demanded. Tamayo shrugged and handed him Eris' pink razor. He quickly dialed a few numbers. A couple of minutes and many threats later, he gruffly declared, "Everyone will meet us at the mansion at 8:15 p.m. sharp. Now it's 7:50 p.m. so we better not be late."

As he said the last part, he stared especially at me.

"I won't make us late. We would be traveling at a faster pace if Mathilda wasn't hurt this badly. Due to her fragile condition, we can't move her too much or her clotted cuts will open again causing her to bleed even more. We can't risk her moving into shock."

Kai only grunted at my statement.

"Fine but if we _are_ late, I'm blaming you."

Fifteen excruciating minutes later, we arrived at the bottom of the hill of the mansion.

"How do we get up this hill in less than 30 minutes?" Tamayo groaned remembering previous experiences. A car horn honked behind us, and we turned around to see Robert in the driver's seat of a silver Mitsubishi with Johnny in the passenger and Tala in the back with the hostage. Robert scrolled down his window.

"Need a ride?"

"You're my savior!" Tamayo shouted dramatically and dashed into the car causing Tala to glare coldly at her. She responded by sticking out her tongue. I rolled my eyes at their childish antics.

"Are you getting in?" Kai asked as he held the door open. I shook my head.

"Nah, I'll run up the hill. Either you or Brooklyn should take the last spot. I'll live with a little more exercise."

Kai shrugged and motioned for Brooklyn to get in, which he did quite gladly.

"I guess I'll have to join you on your jog," Kai said emotionlessly, a challenge evident in his eyes.

"Fine with me," I shrugged, an answering glint shining in my eyes. As our silent count down reached zero, we sprinted forward towards the large, oak doors at the top of the hill. Finishing a mile in a record of 6 minutes 23 seconds, I beat Kai by 0.2 seconds. Smirking in triumph, I pushed open the door and stepped in, panting heavily.

As the door creaked open, I was assaulted by an extremely hyper Celia.

"Reine! Reine!" she squeaked, "You came! Now you can play with me!"

I smiled sadly at her.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm here on urgent business. I'll come back soon and blade with you, 'kay? I'll bring Esilé with me as well as Eris-chan and Toji-kun," I promised the little girl. She looked sadly at me for a moment before a big smile flew across her face.

"Okay! I'll hold you to your word!" she scolded before darting off to play with Thomas. I shook my head at her retreating back, remembering the time I was like that. A happy memory before _they_ had shown up. I felt my face shifting darkly as I remembered the burning BBA building.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_I panted as I ran around the maze-like hallways. Red alarms flashed above me signaling that there's a fire in the building. I looked around frantically for my mentor, my baby blue beyblade held tightly in my hand. My other hand clutched the silver necklace that's hanging around my neck, holding onto the intricate hydra charm. Mommy had given it to me when I started blading lessons and I considered it my lucky charm._

_"Aliahe! Aliahe! Where are you?" I shouted desperately, coughing from the smoke that started to fill the hallway. I stumbled on the edge of my light green dress and fell painfully on my knees. Holding back a painful sniffle, I found myself crawling blindly away from the heat, bowing my head to keep myself from inhaling too much smoke. As I turned my fifth corner, I spotted the exit up ahead. I paused briefly, contemplating with myself whether I should leave without Aliahe or go and look for her again. Before I could crawl another foot, I saw Aliahe being dragged forward by a bulky stranger._

_She shouted in pain as he launched his blade at her, tearing her flesh. I could only look on in horror as my best friend and mentor got ripped to shreds before my very eyes. I was helpless to stop her. He was much more experienced than I was, and he was also physically bigger. I felt hatred starting to burn in the pit of my stomach. I burned his image into my head. His messy black hair flopped in his face over his cruel green eyes. His tattered black leather jacket was snug on his toned form as his torn jeans fell casually on his long legs._

_With one final cry of pain, Aliahe keeled over and laid there, unmoving._

_"Aliahe!" I heard myself call as I hurried forward. He turned and smirked maliciously at him, his cruel eyes dancing with bloodlust. As he raised his launcher and bloodied blade to attack me, I felt a burst of power come from my hydra necklace._

_An ear-splitting roar filled with anger filled the building as Esilé rose from her confinement and stared dangerously into the cruel green eyes of the rogue blader, my hated enemy and the murderer of my best friend. He cackled maniacally before launching his bloodied beyblade._

_"Korkcash!" he called harshly as a blood-red vulture emerged from his stained beyblade. I quickly launched my blade as Esilé prepared for attack. Roaring fiercely, all seven of her heads simultaneously lunged at the vulture. She quickly defeated the weaker bitbeast. With a final cry, it disintegrated to retreat back into the safe confines of its blade, resting and restoring its lost energy._

_A caressing whisper tickled my mind as I heard a voice murmur softly. _

_**/All's alright now, child/** the beast told me soothingly. **/I am Esilé, the ancient spirit that guards the seven seas./** _

_With a cry of anger and hatred, Aliahe's murderer advanced on me. A menacing hissing on Esilé's part stopped him in his tracks, causing him to reconsider._

"_I won't forget this! I will come back and kill you along with destroying that bitbeast of yours! You just wait!" he threatened before turning on his heel and running out the door. Picking myself off the ground, I staggered over to Aliahe's limp form, crying for her to wake up before firefighters picked me up and carried me away from her corpse.

* * *

_

**Still Reine's POV**

"Hey Reine? You okay?" asked Max anxiously after I zoned out. Shaking my head, I smiled wanly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just peachy."

"So what did you call all of us here for?" an impatient Johnny asked, fidgeting from foot to foot.

"Right. Meet me in the sitting room in five. Bring the thug with you," I told them absently, "Um, is there a bathroom on this floor?"

"Yeah, just past the staircase and down the left corridor on your left," Tyson instructed as he headed with the Robert to retrieve their prisoner. Following Tyson's instructions, I found the bathroom. Walking inside and locking the door, I turned on the tap, watching water run for a few seconds before reaching out and cupping my hand under the stream of water before splashing my hot face with the cool liquid. A quick knock on the door informed me of someone waiting outside.

Unlocking the door with a quiet click, I opened it to face Kai. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he examined my disheveled appearance.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly. I quickly averted my gaze from his face.

"A living nightmare," I said quietly before pushing past him quickly and head for the sitting room. Striding quickly inside, I joined Tamayo on a brown leather couch. Catching her curious look, I shot her a look that said, "I'll tell you later," before calling everyone's attention.

"Thanks for coming on such a short notice," I started, pausing hesitantly as I scanned the faces of each blader, "but before I start, was Mathilda treated?"

"Yeah," a blonde Spanish blader called out** (AN: Is Miguel Spanish? I don't really know. If you know, please tell me so if I'm wrong, I can correct it. Thanks!)**, "Claude is watching over her now. Thanks for saving her."

I nodded before turning to stare at an unfamiliar face sitting in the center of the room, bounded tightly. His exposed bicep revealed the Skullz tattoo. Narrowing my eyes, I continued speaking.

"The reason I called this meeting is because we're all in danger. Doesn't it seem fishy that all the people who's been targeted since the return of the Skullz are bladers or somehow related to them?"

Whispers started to float around the room at my observation. A lot of the bored looking bladers were now fully alert.

"Yes," Robert said slowly, listening intently.

"Doesn't it also seem as too much of a coincidence that the bladers that they've targeted are always alone and their opponent had a bitbeast?"

"It is strange," Tala said musingly.

"What about Thomas and Celia's attack?" Enrique asked, intrigued, "They aren't bladers but they were attacked. I wasn't there so I'm not sure if their attackers had bitbeasts."

"Like I said before, the people that were attacked were either bladers or related to them in some way, like Thomas, Celia, and Tamayo…but Tamayo is a blader now," I added as an afterthought.

"The main reason that they were probably targeted is not because they're a direct threat, like you guys, but because of the fact that the Skullz wanted to scare you and break you down mentally by hurting those close to you. And to answer your other question, no, the four thugs didn't have bitbeasts mainly because Thomas and Celia don't have ones either. I bet they didn't count on me showing up and whooping their asses with the help of Esilé."

There was a pregnant pause as everyone absorbed the information.

"So you're saying that people close to us are in danger just as we are?" Garland asked cautiously, staring angrily at the orange-haired Skullz member in the middle of the room bounded tightly by a piece of rope. I nodded quietly before turning to thug.

"Am I right? I know that you should know at least this part of the plan."

His face remained shadowed as he slowly nodded.

'_Is he ashamed?'_ I thought, startled. Out of all the members I've met, I've never seen one with a conscience. They had all relished in destruction and murder.

**/I sense him emitting waves of grief./** Esilé observed.

'_He is ashamed!'_

I slowly walked up to the bound teen despite calls of protest from various bladers. Lee reached out and grabbed my hand as I passed, preventing me from getting any closer.

"Let me go," I commanded quietly, staring deeply into his amber eyes, willing him to trust me. My hand slid slowly out of his grip as his hand loosened around mine. I sent him a look of gratitude before walking to stand directly in front of the sitting teen. His face was turned away from me, but I can sense the waves of sadness roll off his aura. Squatting down, I lifted his face to look deeply into his brown eyes.

"Why are you working with them? You're not that kind of person," I asked delicately, careful not to push him too hard. His eyes shifted slightly.

"So they won't hurt her," he replied brokenly, his voice full of emotion.

"Hurt who?" Oliver asked kindly.

"Lisa, my sister. They've got her captured in one of their numerous headquarters. They threatened to kill her if I didn't do what they ask."

Silence fell on the entire group as they heard his heart-felt answer.

"I had no choice," he continued softly, "She's my last living family member. I can't just abandon her. They killed our parents and held her at gunpoint, forcing me to join them. I haven't seen her since, but I occasionally talk to her on the phone, when they allow me, to show me that she's still alive." He laughed bitterly.

"Why did they want you to join them?" Kai asked icily, obviously not trusting him.

"Because I defeated one of their high-ranking officers. They want powerful bladers to join them. When bladers refuse, they hurt those around them and blackmail them into joining for the sake of their loved ones."

"We'll help you," I said determinedly, glaring around the room daring anyone to challenge my decision. He looked up startled.

"You can count on us, Durby!" Tamayo piped up before turning to look at everyone in the room, "I believe him and I agree with Reine's choice of action."

People stared at us, astonished.

"How do you know he's not lying?" Johnny asked brashly, eyeing the teen with distrust.

"Esilé," I replied simply.

"You can talk to your bitbeast?" Ray asked, surprised.

"Yes. Why? It's not strange, is it?" I asked, curious.

"It's very rare for the bitbeast to talk to their partner unless you guys are really close," he explained slowly.

"Really? I can talk to my bitbeast, Ciatra, too," Tamayo stated with wide eyes.

Everyone looked at us even more astonished then last time.

"I guess we have powerful allies," Enrique said cheerfully, breaking the tension. I nodded in agreement.

"As do we. With your help, we can reach our common goal. We have support from all over the world, all of which is sitting in this room."

"Youse will really help me?" the orange-haired teen, who I now know as Durby, asked.

"Of course dummy!" Tamayo said cheerfully, clapping him hard on the back.

"Do you know when and where they will strike next?" I asked. He looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging.

"Beats me. They don't tell me anything since I'm not reliable. I may be powerful but I'm not trusted since I was forced to join rather than willingly. They know that I will eventually betray them or get captured so they don't tell me any of their plans or secrets. Knowing them, I would say during a big event."

I felt the gears turning in my head as I created a foolproof plan.

"Guys, I have a plan, but it requires all of you. It'll lure them out of hiding because the chance is too great to pass up," I announced as people discussed about what had just transpired.

"In order to lure them out, there has to be a bait," Kai pointed out.

"So what's the bait?" Kane asked.

"It's not what, but who, as in plural," I explained as I told them the plan.

"That's brilliant!" Tamayo shouted, jumping up.

"Now all we need is a reserved time in the city fair and an idea placed in the principal's head," I said maliciously, a hard glint in my eyes.

'_The Skullz have gone too far this time. We'll get them for Mathilda and Lisa.'_

Esilé roared in approval, ready for action.

'_Time for revenge.'

* * *

_

**Author's Note:**

What could be Reine's ingenious plan? xD Wait and find out.

I might not be able to update much during the week. / I have several tests coming up so I need to spend time studying. I also decided to update at least one chapter of "**A Fork in the Road**" before continuing this story so sorry for the wait. :-(

Thanks to **DaCow Takao**, **soldier4Christ,** and **whyamidoingthis01** for the support! I really appreciate it guys!

I noticed that I got over 300 hits! Whoot! Thanks for reading my story. –bows– It would make this author really happy if you guys reviewed more. –pouts–

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	8. Clash of the Ancients Part I

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 8 – Clash of the Ancients (Part I)**

**Reine's POV**

I found myself heading for the principal's office Wednesday morning, the day after we figured out the kinks out of my plan. Suppressing a yawn, I knocked on the door.

_'How the hell did I get stuck doing this again?'_

"Come in," came a kind voice as I pushed open the door. The office was painted a pale yellow, looking extremely inviting due to the sunlight filtering through the window and lighting up the room.

"Oh! Ms. Tanaka! How may I help you?" the principal asked kindly, folding his hands in front of him on his mahogany desk.

"Um…Sir, my charge, Max Mizuhara, came up with a great idea to help the new beta-testing program. His group of friends and him are setting up a tournament in the city fair and he thought it would be a good idea if the members of gym classes participate. The winner of the tournament their guests will get a fully paid trip to a place of their choice curtsey of the BBA, as well a place of the BBA's choosing as a sort of vacation."

The principal massaged his chin thoughtfully as he pondered this preposition.

"The school would be given 50 dollars for every blader they get to join the tournament," I quickly added, hoping to tilt the decision in their favor. It didn't take long for the principal to make up his mind. Even though the wishes of town weighed heavily on his mind, he found this preposition harmless.

"Alright. I agree that we will send in students but only if they're willing. The coaches can place stakes as they see fit. I shall inform them shortly. Thanks for bringing me this preposition, Ms. Tanaka. You're dismissed."

Releasing a sigh of relief, I walked out of the office.

_'Step one, persuade the principal, complete!'_ I cheered mentally, _'Time for step two.'_

As lunch rolled around, I found myself surrounded by Eris, Toji, and Tamayo, two of which were whispering excitedly while the third smiled smugly.

"Hey Reiniki! Did you hear about the tournament? You get a trip to anyplace of your choice! Imagine where we can go if you win! Maybe Hawaii? How about New York City? I've always wanted to see the Big Apple! Skiing sounds good too! Oh I can't choose!" Eris rattled excitedly. I held up my hand to stop her rambling.

"That's only _if_ I win. I really doubt that because I've got a lot of competition. Did you forget that there might be rogue bladers joining the tournament not to mention some of the professional bladers? There are also the people in gym to consider. It's rather uncertain right now."

Eris pouted cutely before turning to Tamayo.

"Reine will win, right? Tell her Tama-chan!"

"Hm…I don't know, Eris. She's right, there are tough competition out there, including me," she added the last part with a twinkle in her eyes.

"How will you match her bitbeast?" Eris asked desperately, not wanting to give up her trip proposition.

"With mine of course, silly," Tamayo teased her, relishing in Eris' surprised look.

"Y-you have a bi-bitbeast! When did you get it?" Eris asked, stupefied.

"We'll tell you later," I whispered quietly, "Now hush. People are starting to listen to our conversation. Just keep passing on the information about the tournament. That's a part of our plan. We'll tell you _everything_ later."

Eris just looked me curiously before turning back and gossiping with Toji about the tournament. I smirked widely, glad to have at twin that talks a lot for once.

_'I guess it does have its perks.'_

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, I headed towards gym. Passing Max, I gave him thumbs up when no one was looking. He returned with one of his own as he hurried off to tell the others. After changing into the gym uniform, I walked out of the changing room only to bump into Coach Kukasaki.

"Ah! Ms. Tanaka, just the person I was looking for," he said, steering me away from everyone else.

"What is it, sensei?" I asked curiously.

_'Probably something to do with the tournament.'_

He looked uncomfortable for a moment before turning to scan the gym.

"I was wondering if you will enter the tournament and be one of the representatives for our school. I know it's a lot of pressure and you don't even like the sport, at least I don't think, but will you please consider?" he asked quickly, turning to me with pleading eyes, "I just want to know before I announce it to the rest of the students."

I pretended to think for a minute when in truth, I was going to enter the tournament whether or not anyone asked me specifically. Shrugging in reply, I said, "Sure Sensei. I will be one of the school's representatives. It'll be my honor. I guess the sport isn't that bad, I mean, nothing's happened so far."

Coach Kukasaki looked relieved at my answer.

"Thanks Tanaka. You'll be getting extra points for doing this, of course," he quickly added, flashing me a brilliant smile. I nodded dumbly as I watched him waltz off.

_'What was that about?'_

My train of thought was interrupted by a sharp rap on my head.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" I swore loudly at my perpetrator.

"Get your arse moving, Tanaka. You need to warm up before I start training you," came the reply as Kai stalked off. Flipping the bird at his retreating back, I started to run around the gym, joining the mass of excited students whispering about the upcoming tournament.

"OMG! Did you hear? You get a paid trip for you and your _guests_, no limit, to a place of your choice! Can you believe it? I guess these guys aren't so bad. I'm definitely entering!"

"Yeah! Totally!"

"I'll beat you both! Just you guys watch! I'll be the winner of the prize!"

I smirked to myself.

_'The plan's working perfectly! Step two, getting publicity, complete!'_

"How's it going?" came a familiar voice. Falling back, I joined Tamayo as she jogged.

"According to plan," I said casually, staring at bladers, who were running separately on the other side of the gym, catching Robert's gaze, I gave a slight nod indicating phase two has been complete and it's up to him to complete phase three.

"Awesome!" cried Tamayo, "I hope you're ready to loose! I'll be wiping the floor with your sorry ass!"

"You wish Tama-chan," I teased, a challenge glinting in my eyes, "Although you may be stronger than you were before, I still have the upper hand with both a strong bitbeast and more experience. You sure you want to keep talking? You'll only force me to make you to eat them later."

Tamayo stuck her tongue out at me before running ahead. I shook my head at her childish antics.

_'We have to win this tournament. I will work if Tamayo wins too, so I'm not concerned there, but what I'm concerned about are Tamayo's parents forcing her to take others instead of us. Then the plan will go off track.'_

**/Don't worry so much, little one. If she happens to win, she will come through for us just as we've come through for her. Have some faith and trust in your friend/** replied Esilé soothingly.

_'You're right, as always, Esilé. Where would I be without you?'_

I vaguely felt Esilé hum lowly in her seven throats, reassuring me that she would never leave me. A shrill whistle broke my concentration as I disconnected my mind from Esilé's.

"Alright everyone! Listen up!" called Coach Kukasaki as everyone stopped running and gathered around him, forming a small semi-circle, "I'm sure that all of you have heard about the tournament by now. I'm going to confirm that yes, you do get a paid trip to a place of your choosing as well as a place of BBA's choosing. Secondly, if you decide to join the tournament, sign your name here to register. Whoever enters the tournament will get extra points added onto their semester final, so if you're interested, line up here and sign on this sheet of paper."

Murmurs went up in the crowd as gossip spread. Some bold students stepped up and signed before hurrying back and gossiping with their friends. I watched as Tamayo went up and signed her name. Surprisingly, I saw Yume, Osaka, Yami, and even Sai sign their names. Slowly, I made my way up to Coach Kukasaki. He eyed me carefully as I signed my name underneath Sai's. Nodding in my direction, he turned to the person next in line, indicating that they can sign now. I watched, surprised as Kai stepped up and roughly scrawled his name in the space underneath mine.

"I'll have my rematch," he said coldly before turning and walking away.

_'This will be harder than I originally thought. Kai will be a tough nut to crack. I guess we have our work cut out for us, eh Esilé?'_

Esilé hummed in reply.

**/Do not worry, we will win./**

_'I hope you're right otherwise, we're going to be stuck in a hard place.'_

Durby told us about the locations of various headquarters last night. They were scattered all over the world and this trip will be significant if we can destroy one. 

_'If we win the trip, we'll head to Switzerland,'_ I planned, mentally ticking through my list of known headquarter locations, _'Their headquarter is one of the biggest located in the capital city of Bern.'_

Another shrill whistle pierced my thoughts, bringing me back to my senses. I watched Yume, Osaka, Yami, and Sai make their way over to me followed by Kai.

"I guess we're all competing, eh?" Yume piped, shifting her gaze from all of our faces. Sai shrugged in answer as everyone else nodded and Kai grunted.

"Well, all I want to say is may the best blader win."

We all lapsed into silence, deep in thought, pondering if we were the best or if there's someone out there who's better.

"Enough fooling around, we have to train if you guys want to make it past the first round," Kai commanded, "We'll start with 5 sets of 20 push-ups and 10 sets of 20 sit-ups. Then we'll run one mile before we actually blade."

Quietly following his instructions, we got down to business for the next hour and half.

Halfway through my mile, Kai caught up with me.

"What?" I snapped, irritated. It's hot and I haven't had a break from the sweltering heat; it's making me cranky.

"Nothing really," he shrugged only to stare at me intently again five seconds later.

"I believe we've been through this routine before. You keep your eyes to yourself unless there's something on my face, which I doubt, and then you tell me instead of staring nonstop."

"Do me a favor and shut up Tanaka," he snapped before picking up pace and running past me.

"What the hell is up with him?" I muttered to myself.

"He has a stick up his ass," came the reply as Sai ran up to me, sweating as much as me from the heat.

"I was considering that option," I said seriously before smirking at her. She snorted at me before looking serious.

"I have a bad feeling about this tournament. I know it might seem innocent enough and the prize is really good not to mention what the school will get for sending students to compete, I just know that something bad is going to happen during the tournament."

I nodded, silently agreeing with her.

_'There's a high chance that something bad will happen if the Skullz send their bladers as well as various rogue bladers competing. It's a risk we have to take to get them out of hiding.'_

"Hey Reine, let me ask you this. You seem to know more about this tournament than anyone else, is it an open tournament citywide?"

"Yeah. It's an open tournament that's being held during the city fair so there will probably be a large audience."

Sai looked thoughtful.

"Thanks Reine," she called as she picked up her speed.

_'That's strange. Why would she want to know? Is there something she's hiding?'_

Shrugging in confusion, I finished my last lap just as Kai and Sai finished setting up the blading equipment.

_'Maybe she has a bitbeast, too. She seemed so sure about her observation that it was unnerving, as if she was warning us about what was going to happen or telling us she was planning something, but she wouldn't do that, would she? I don't' know much about her. She's pretty much a mystery since she keeps to herself so much.'_

**/Her aura is very distorted. It's very hard to read so it's hard to say anything for sure. Sorry, little one, I can't help you this time/** Esilé said sadly.

_'Don't worry, Esilé. You tried your best.'_

To say that I was surprised is an understatement. This had never happened before in all my history as a blader, which wasn't very long but long enough to identify something abnormal.

"Hurry your lazy arse over here, Tanaka," Kai called gruffly as he completed his round on the obstacle course. Rolling my eyes, I sent my blade quickly and efficiently through the course in record time, making sure no one but Kai saw. He grunted in answer before calling Yume over to try it. Smirking triumphantly, I returned to my musings.

_'There's a little something I've been meaning to ask you, Esilé.'_

**/Ask away./**

_'Do you sense an attraction between the two redheads? You know, Tamayo and Tala.'_

**/There's something there but its too weak to tell. Why/**

_'Oh, I just have a feeling, that's all. Thanks for clearing that up.'_

**/You're welcome, little one./**

Ha! So I was right! There's something there, even though it's weak. They look so cute together, but there's the matter of Brooklyn. If I'm not mistaken, he's smitten with Tamayo, even though it's hard to tell with him hiding his emotions under his happy mask. He's worse than Kai when it comes to emotions. It exasperates me to no end.

_'He should just tell her!'_ I thought, frustrated, _'He'll loose her to Tala at this rate!'_

I looked over at Tala's group. As usual, Tamayo was bickering with Tala and annoying him to no end.

_'Sometimes I actually feel bad for the guy. He shouldn't rile her up like that.'_

Suddenly I heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the school day.

_'Well, wasn't today productive?'_ I thought sarcastically as I headed towards the changing rooms. Quickly changing into a forest green short-sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans, I was ready to go. Pulling on a gray hoodie over my green shirt, I slung my black bag carelessly over my right shoulder and across my chest.

_'It's starting to get cold now and it's only August.'_

**/Winter's coming early this year./**

_'Oh goody. Just what I've wanted, an early Christmas.'_

Esilé snorted in amusement, sending her waves of amusement through our link.

* * *

**A Week Later – Saturday**

** Reine's POV**

Well, this is it. The day to see if our plan will work. The city fair was bustling with activity and I found myself being dragged by a pair of over-enthusiastic girls.

_'Someone save me!'_ I thought desperately, failing to free myself from their iron grip. All the bladers were busy with setting up the equipment for the tournament as well as safety precautions. Surprisingly, Mr. Dickenson, the head of the BBA, showed up to watch the tournament today.

_'I guess he's looking for promising talent in this city to see if the program was worth the effort.'_

"Oh! Isn't that just the most adorable plushie?" Tamayo gushed, pointing at a gray bobcat doll in a shooting stall.

"Do you want it?" asked a familiar voice as a group crept up behind us.

"Uh huh," said Tamayo absently, continuing to stare at it adoringly.

"I guess I can try to get it for you," the same voice mused, laughing at her antics.

"Would you really?" Tamayo asked excitedly, breaking out of her reverie to catch Brooklyn's amused grin, "Thanks Brooky! You're the best!"

_'Finally! He makes a move!'_

"Out of the way, Carrot-top!" a voice snarled as Brooklyn was pushed aside.** (AN: I got Brooklyn's nickname from whyamidoingthis01.)**

Tala strode forward, to Tamayo's annoyance, and turned towards her.

"Which one is it, brat?" he asked gruffly, eyeing all the toys distastefully.

"Why do you care? Brooky's already getting it for me," Tamayo responded icily.

"Just tell me," Tala grunted, glaring at Tamayo.

"That one," Tamayo said reluctantly, pointing at the gray bobcat plushie. Placing some money on the counter, Tala was handed the shotgun. Suddenly, another hand slammed some money down on the counter just as Tala was about to shoot, causing him to pause.

"I'll go for the same one as well," came Brooklyn's smooth voice as he stood calmly beside the glowering Russian. Both bladers took aim and shot. With a clang, two cans were knocked down at the same time.

"Here're your prizes," the stall keeper said cheerfully as she handed the boys the bobcat plushies.

_'Well, that was interesting.'_ I thought mildly as I watched this unpredicted situation unravel, _'Oh boy, this isn't good. It seems like they both like her. She's so thick that she doesn't even realize. This is going to be one hell of a drama.'_

"Here, take it," they said simultaneously causing Tala to turn and glare at Brooklyn as Tamayo took both plushies.

"Thanks guys!" she chirped happily as she hugged both plushies, "They are adorable! I guess they can be Siamese twins since they look the same."

She beamed brightly at both boys causing them to flush slightly.

"Well that was stupid and a waste of money," a cold voice said coming from behind me. I turned around only to find myself staring into crimson orbs. Startled by how close Kai was, I jumped back a good couple of feet. He just raised an eyebrow at my reaction. I clutched my heart as I breathed deeply.

_'In and out. In and out.'_

"Jesus Hiwatari! You could've given me a heart attack! Did you ever hear about something called 'personal space'?"

"Whatever," he muttered before turning away. Just then, I caught sight of an adorable phoenix plushie.

"That's cute," I said to no one in particular as I gazed at the plushie. It was hanging on the wall in another shooting booth, only in this one you have to knock over a certain number of cans with a tennis ball to get a certain prize.

I vaguely notice Kai leave my side a couple of seconds later. Taking one last wistful look at the plushie, I turned and walked away with Eris and Tamayo.

"Where is Toji?" I asked, noticing our missing member.

"He's coming later," came Eris' reply as she looked around idly, "He'll be here to see the tournament this afternoon. He had to run some kind of errand for his parents or something like that."

"Oh, okay."

"I wonder why Tala's being so nice," Tamayo suddenly piped up, looking thoughtful.

"You mean you don't know?" asked Eris, surprised.

"Know what?" Tamayo asked innocently, completely oblivious to the two boys' feelings. Eris smacked her forehead in response.

"Never mind Tama-chan. Forget I said anything. When you finally realize, then we'll talk about it," came her pained response as she tried to restrain herself from chucking something at the clueless girl.

The rest of our morning passed swiftly. I found myself sitting with Sai, Yume, Osaka, Yami, Tamayo, and Eris as we ate our lunch in a small fast-food joint. They had joined us when we bumped into them an hour ago.

"I love the city fair!" cried Yume happily as she munched on her french-fries.

"I know! All the toys are so adorable," gushed an enthusiastic Tamayo as she cuddled both her plushies, who she nicknamed TenTen and Bean. **(AN: I don't know why she called her bobcat plushies TenTen and Bean. She's a strange girl, but take note that the names of the plushies start with the same letter as the boys who gave them to her.)**

"What I'm looking forward to is the tournament," Eris said excitedly, "I want to see how good all of you are! We're not blading in Athletics. You can look at it as either as a good thing or a misfortune, but I feel like I missed an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"You shouldn't worry so much. Reine can teach you if you want to learn so badly," suggested Yami as he sipped his Dr. Pepper. **(AN: Personally I can't stand Dr. Pepper but that doesn't mean it's not a good drink.)**

"I'll be happy to. Just tell me when you want your lessons to start," I said as I took a bite of my burger. As everyone else chatted amiably, Sai sat quietly, slightly isolating herself. When she finished her food, she propped her head on her hand and stared out the window boredly.

"What's up with you, Sai? You're more quiet than usual," Osaka asked worriedly.

"I just have a very bad feeling about the tournament this afternoon," came Sai's simple reply as she kept looking out the window.

"You're such a worrywart!" Yume teased, laughing at her paranoia. I hate to say it but I agree with Sai. There was something ominous in the air and it was getting thicker as the tournament drew near.

**/I'm feeling uneasy, little one/** Esilé said softly, her fin rustling restlessly, **/Be on guard. Something's going to happen today, something big./**

_'I will, don't worry Esilé.'_

Turning my attention back to the conversation, it had turned from the tournament to where we will travel to if we win.

"I want to go to Hawaii!" came Yume's excited answer.

"That's such a common choice," Tamayo replied, "You should do something more exotic such as India to see the Taj Mahal."

"There's nothing wrong with Hawaii!" Eris said defensively, "It's a pretty place. That's why it's such a popular choice."

"You girls have no imagination," Yami said lazily, "If you want to go somewhere cool, you would go to Las Vegas in America to see all the clubs and casinos!"

At his answer, everyone snorted and broke out into uncontainable laughter with the exception of Sai.

"Las Vegas? Oh please!" Yume choked out as she doubled-over with laughter.

"Where would you go, Reine?" Tamayo asked as she caught her breath and wiped away her tears of mirth, shooting me a look to show me she hasn't forgotten our plan.

"Hm? Oh, Bern, Switzerland."

"Switzerland, uh?" Yume said thoughtfully, "That's not such a bad idea. It's great to ski there, at least that's what I've heard."

"I would want to see the Big Apple," Osaka added shyly, adding her two cents to the conversation.

"Me too!" cried Eris, "Finally someone else besides me that want to see New York City, but when it comes down to it, I would rather go skiing in Switzerland."

Eris shot me a secretive look. I had filled her in on the events that had occurred at Tamayo's job and the plan we cooked up after Mathilda's attack. I nodded slightly showing her I understood her meaning.

"It's time," Sai said suddenly, interrupting our conversation.

"Time for what?" Yami asked stupidly.

"Time for the tournament stupid!" Yume said exasperatedly as she stood up and headed to the garbage can to throw away her trash.

"Finally!" Tamayo sighed as she stretched.

_'It's time for reckoning. I just hope that the ominous feeling in the air is a part of my imagination stemmed from my nervousness, but I knew better. Something was horribly wrong.'_

Making our way through the crowd, we found ourselves facing the dome-like building that was hosting the tournament. Crowds of people were wheeling around aimlessly outside, some bubbling in excitement while others stood protesting.

"Looks like we got more publicity than we bargained for," Tamayo muttered to me under her breath. I shrugged nonchalantly as I scanned the raging crowds. It looks as if some people were from out of town while the main bulk of the crowd was from around here. Familiar faces showed up here and there in the gaps of the crowd.

_'It's perfect,'_ I grinned inwardly, _'The outcome was much better than I anticipated.'_

"Wow! Yume exclaimed, "It looks like all the booths shut down so the people will come to this event! All the more pressure on the bladers, ne?"

"Wonderful," Sai said dryly as she headed towards the doors leading to the front lobby. Following Sai absently, I pondered about how well my plan was working

'_Will they take the bait and actually show up and reveal themselves? If I know them, they will enter. They wouldn't pass up a golden opportunity like this.'_

"Hey guys!" someone shouted cheerfully as I saw a blonde bob hurtle towards us.

"Max!" Tamayo shouted back, oblivious of the uneasy looks on Yume, Osaka, and Yami's faces. Sai's remained neutral, not letting anything slip past her vacant mask.

"You guys ready? We're about to call the first block. The good news is there are a lot more bladers than we originally thought, and Mr. Dickenson thought ahead and brought specialized dishes. It will be like the world championships all over again except the dishes are even more awesome than last time. Apparently the theme this year is exotic places. I think they're roulette options starting in quarterfinals for both your opponent and the dish. I think you get to choose a dish of your choice in the finals if you are lucky enough to get chosen first by the computer system. I also heard that there are all sorts of landscapes to choose from so this'll be a wickedly awesome tournament!"

"Really?" Yume squeaked excitedly, "I can't wait! I would like to point out that I personally feel beyblade isn't so bad. Sue me if you think otherwise."

"That's awesome to hear!" Max encouraged enthusiastically, "It'll be even better when you get a bitbeast!"

Max and Yume started to talk about the positive aspects of beyblading as we made our way to the locker rooms. Osaka and Yami seemed to loose their uneasiness as soon as Yume declared her opinion on the sport. They listened on, interested.

"Draciel is the best! His awesome defense helps my blading so much! I don't think I would've made it so far without his support."

"I wonder when I will get a bitbeast. I hope I can get one. Even if I don't get one, I will still like the sport. I guess it's addicting in a strange way. Who would've thought a game involving spinning tops can be so fun?"

They broke out into laughter as everyone else looked on. As we stopped in front of the hallway door leading to the separate locker rooms for each block, Max pointed out a list posted on the wall beside the wooden doors.

"Well, this is where I leave you. Look for your name and room number on the list and enter the room with the same corresponding letter and number. Good luck guys!"

Max turned and ran away to help prepare for the opening ceremony.

"Well, I guess I'll go and grab a seat. Don't want all the good seats taken by the time I get there, ne?"

"See you later, Eris," Tamayo called as she prepared to head into the hallway.

"I'll be cheering for you! I'll make sure Toji-kun will be there to cheer guys on, too!" she called over her shoulder as she headed over to the stadium. Quickly scanning the list, I found my name under the block C2. Tamayo was in A2 while Osaka was in A1 and Yami in D2. Sai was stuck by herself in B2. Looking through the list, I noted the competition. Most were small fries while a couple were pro bladers. Kai was in D1 while Tyson was in C1. I saw Mariah's name under A1, Brooklyn's name under D2, and Garland's name in block B1. A name suddenly caught my attention. It seemed familiar, but I couldn't place where I saw it before.

"_Loréndoz – B1"_

Brushing off my unease, I headed towards my assigned locker room. Stepping inside, I saw many unfamiliar faces. A few were quite innocent while others looked arrogant. A few rough looking faces caught my eyes.

'_So the rogue bladers did join the tournament. That means that more than likely, the Skullz sent a blader or bladers of their own.'_

Sitting down tentatively, I meditated, waiting for my turn.

"_Will the bladers in block A1 please head to the stadium?"_ the P.A announced. Silently wishing Osaka and Mariah luck, I returned to my meditating. Fifteen minutes later, I heard the P.A. click on again.

"_Will the bladers in block A2 please head to the stadium?"_ the P.A. announced. Once again, silent reigned over the room as we waited tensely for the battles to be over.

'_Tamayo's in the block. I know that she can beat any bladers thrown her way.'_

After another fifteen minutes, the P.A. clicked on again to call for the bladers of B1.

'_This is the block Loréndoz is in. I wonder how Garland is fairing against him.'_

For some mysterious reason, I felt an uneasy as the fifteen minutes dragged by. Like for the past thirty minutes, the P.A. clicked on to ask for the bladers in block B2.

'_I guess I'll have to wait for the quarter finals to see.'_

Another thirty minutes dragged by until the P.A. clicked on once more.

"_Will the bladers in block C2 please head to the stadium?"_

Taking a deep breath, I followed the line of bladers exiting the room. Some were fidgeting nervously while others sauntered confidently. Emerging from the dark hallway into the bright lights of the stadium temporarily blinded me. Shielding my eyes from the intense light, I squinted at the cheering crowd.

'_Yume was right. There are a lot of people.'_

"Alright bladers! Please take your positions!" came a familiar voice boomed from the speakers overhead. Looking up at the raised platform, I caught sight of Max acting as a referee. Discreetly giving me a thumbs-up and mouthing 'Good Luck!' he turned to speak to the audience.

"This match is a battle royal between all the competitors in the block. If a winner is not determined after fifteen minutes, there will be a sudden-death match between the remaining bladers. Bladers! Step up to the dish!"

I walked up and took my position along a plain, red stadium-sized dish. Slipping my ripcord through my launcher and quickly attaching my blade, I noticed a variety of launchers being pulled out and even a greater variety of blades.

'_This should be interesting. Are you ready for some action, Esilé? I don't think you will be needed for this battle but be prepared.'_

**/No need to tell me. I know, young one./**

"Bladers ready?"

Everyone fell into launching position, some more awkwardly than others.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Blades of different class, color, and design entered the dish and started to slam into each other. After five minutes, most of the rookies were out. Five blades remained, spinning as vigorously as when the countdown started. I watched as the four enemy blades circled dangerously around my immobile blade.

"You should leave the sport to the big boys, little girl," one of them sneered menacingly.

'_Great, I'm stuck battling four rogue bladers at once.'_

**/Don't worry. I'm here to back you up, youngling./** Esilé said protectively, rearing her seven heads.

Suddenly the four blades simultaneously slammed into mine, making it wobble before righting itself again. Gritting my teeth in concentration, I willed my blade to evade all their attacks.

"And now they are four-teaming the unfortunate blader!" Max said intensely into the mike, his eyes taking in the scene worriedly.

"Attack!" the four rogue bladers shouted as their multi-colored blades headed for mine.

"NOW!" I commanded Esilé as the four blades zoomed at me from four different directions. Leaping up, Esilé dodged their attacks just as they slammed into each other, "Roundabout!"

Esilé spun quickly around the four blades, forcing them together by continuously slamming into their sides. The four bladers glowered at me as I continued my attack. Slowly, one by one their blades stopped spinning.

"And the winner is Reine Tanaka!" Max shouted into his mike. The crowd cheered enthusiastically. Looking up, I saw that the people cheering were the only younger generations. The older citizens looked on unhappily, not liking the tournament one bit. The hate they harbor prevents them from enjoying the sport.

"Give it up for her outstanding sportsmanship!"

The crowd broke out into cheers again. I caught sight of Tamayo, Eris, and Toji cheering for me in the front row. I followed the group of bladers leaving the stadium only to double-back and enter the stadium through the back doors at the top of the stadium rows. Making my way down to my friends, I saw them waving frantically at me.

"Good job Reine! You kicked their sorry arses!" Tamayo shouted cheerfully, pumping her fist into the air. I shrugged as if it was a no big deal, which it really wasn't. The quarter-finals was what mattered.

"So who won the blocks A1 – C1? I couldn't watch because I was stuck in the back"

"Let's see, Mariah won in A1. Poor Osaka didn't have a chance," Eris said thoughtfully, remembering the matches, "And Tamayo obviously won in A2."

Tamayo grinned proudly.

"Guess I'll be facing you soon! I hope lady luck is on my side so that I can face you!"

"Why do you need luck? Doesn't the winner of A1 face A2?" I asked curiously.

'_What there something I missed?'_

"They're doing it roulette style for the quarter-finals. The computer will choose your opponent so anything can happen."

'_Well, that's different. I just hope I'm not the one facing Kai in the quarter-finals, that's if he wins, which is an obvious no-brainer.'_

Remembering the matches, I asked Eris, "So who won B1, B2, and C1?"

Eris looked troubled as she continued her report, "Well, Garland got creamed in a sudden-death match against this one dude called Loréndoz."

'_Who is this Loréndoz? I have a bad feeling about him.'_

"Sai won in B2 and Tyson won, obviously being the world-champion beyblader, in C1. That leaves you as the winner in C2."

Thinking about the chances that I will face Loréndoz, I vaguely notice D1 start. Catching sight of a familiar dual-haired blader, I snapped back to attention, analyzing my opponent.

"Bladers ready? Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Kai's blade entered the dish as a blue blur, quickly knocking blades out left and right. In a record of 3 minutes, he had eliminated all the bladers in his block.

"And the winner is Kai! Give it up for him, folks!"

An explosion of applause broke the astonished silence. With a flourish, he caught his blade as it flew into his hand.

'_Well, that proves my earlier thought. It's a no-brainer for Kai to get into the quarterfinals. I'm hoping I'm not the one stuck battling him. He might actually make me show my bitbeast, even though her Mist of Illusion can hide her, her element will be exposed.'_

"Will the bladers of block D2 please step up to the dish?" Max called out as the final member of the group stepped out of the dark hall and into the bright light of the stadium.

"Go Brooky!" Tamayo shouted encouragingly just as I spotted a familiar ginger-head.

'_Well, Brooklyn's obviously going to win. He's one of the few people to ever defeat Kai.'_

My suspicion was confirmed when Brooklyn creamed his opponents in less time than Kai.

"And your winner is Brooklyn Kingston!" Max announced happily, practically jumping off his raised platform, "Folks! You have your eight quarter-finalists! Please give it up for Mao Chou, otherwise known as Mariah, Tamayo Miyagi, Loréndoz, Sai Okayama, Tyson Kinomyia, Reine Tanaka, Kai Hiwatari, and Brooklyn Kingston!"

A loud cheer shook the stadium.

"Now please give it up for our BBA chairman, Mr. Stanley A. Dickenson!"

Polite applause filled the stadium as a portly, elderly man walked into the middle of the stadium floor. Max climbed down his lifted platform and handed him his mike.

"Thank you for coming to this impromptu tournament. I was very pleased with the results of our program. I'm happy to say that it is successful. Just as planned, the bladers will remain here for the remainder of the year. Now I'm going to discuss how the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals will work. We will be choosing the opponents roulette style using the computer. The computer will also choose the special dish that they will blade in. In the finals, the computer will choose the blader, who will be given the choice to choose the dish type of their choice while we choose the dish design. The theme this year is exotic places. Please sit back and enjoy the show. We, of the BBA, assure that all safety precautions will be kept. If there is any sign of danger, we will immediately switch to emergency plans. Thank you for coming," he finished pleasantly before handing the mike back to Max.

"There will be a brief intermission for our bladers to gather their wits and get ready for the semi-finals. Please use the restrooms or get food at this time," with that said, Max placed the mike back onto the mike before jogging off the stadium floor and into the dark hallway.

"I guess this is our cue to get our asses into the quarter-finals locker room Tamayo," I said as I got up.

"Right!" she said excitedly before hopping off her seat and following me out the door and down the hall. Max met us halfway there and congratulated us.

"You guys are awesome! I haven't seen battles that good for a long time!"

"Thanks Maxy," Tamayo said happily, eager to get rolling.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later as I referee your matches. I'll leave you guys here! See ya!" and with that, Max ran off.

"Guess it's just you and me, eh Reine?" Tamayo asked cheerfully.

"Not really, we're here. That's why Max left," I pointed out, nervous about the quarterfinal match.

'_I hope I don't have to face Loréndoz soon. I wouldn't mind facing Sai, Tamayo, or even Mariah.'_

Opening the door tentatively, the locker room light fell out into the hallway. I saw Sai sitting silently by herself on a bench near the back of the room as well as Kai leaning on the wall near the door. Brooklyn lounged languidly on another bench near the front the middle of the room as Tyson talked excitedly with Mariah. A dirty-blonde haired teen was leaning into the shadows in the far right corner of the room, watching us with a keen eye.

'_That must be Loréndoz.'_

He was dressed in a black trench coat that concealed what he was wearing except for a pair of black, leather combat boots. He was wearing a black choker with an orange gem in the middle, looking eerily like an eye of some kind of animal. His piercing green gaze landed on me for a moment before moving on to a bouncy Tamayo beside me. He narrowed his eyes threateningly when he noticed me watching him. I returned his glare before joining Sai on her bench. She looked at me briefly before returning to study the blank wall. Tamayo sat down with Tyson and Mariah, joining their conversation.

"Do you still have a bad feeling about this tournament?" I asked casually, watching her for any signs of what she was feeling. She slowly tore her eyes off the wall to stare me straight into my eyes.

"You should know. I _know_ that you can feel what I'm feeling."

It was true. The ominous feeling was heavier than before. It's weighing heavily on my mind, screaming that something was going to happen. Esilé was shifting restlessly throughout the tournament, getting more fidgety with every passing second. Our short conversation lapsed into silence as we pondered the situation. The P.A. cut the short-lived peace. I had the deja vu feeling of the calm before the storm as we entered the stadium. The audience rocked the building with their cheering and applause as we lined up, waiting for the computer to choose our opponents. Our pictured rolled off the screen at incredible speeds until the computer stopped to show the two bladers that would be battling first.

"And the first two bladers will be Reine Tanaka and Tamayo Miyagi!" came Max's enthusiastic shout. We glanced at each other before stepping forward onto the stadium floor. The computer's screen flashed again as images of dishes flashed across the surface of the screen before finally stopping on the picture of a tropical beach.

"This will be a sudden death match!" Max said into the mike, "There will be no time limit. If there are no more questions, let's reveal the dish!"

The floor of the stadium opened to reveal the chosen dish. I sighed in relief at my obvious advantage.

"Beware this particular dish. It is said that the waters are whirlpool prone! There are also patches of quick sand on the beach not to mention that the friction caused by the sand will slow down the blades a lot faster than the normal dish so the bladers better be prepared! Bladers ready?"

Tamayo and I took our positions, steadying our launchers, looking intently at each other. Suddenly a huge whirlpool appeared in the water, dragging water inside its vortex before spitting it out again, calming the waters once again.

"Whoa! Now that's a display of the dish's abilities! Now let's get this game started! Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

I yanked on my ripcord, a plan forming itself in my head. Esilé landed smoothly on the surface of water, bringing on many shouts of awe. Tamayo's blade landed a little clumsily on the sand, wobbling slightly on the unfamiliar surface.

"Let's show Reine what we can do! Ciatra! Attack!" called Tamayo as her gray blade headed for the water.

"Bad move Tamayo! Move out Esilé!"

Esilé moved with grace only a sea serpent can manage, sliding smoothly over the water's surface, barely leaving a ripple. Tamayo's beyblade landed clumsily in the water, sinking slightly before proceeding to spray water everywhere as it chased mine.

"I might not have the dish advantage, but my skill and power makes up for it!" Tamayo called, "Ciatra!"

Suddenly, her blade sped up until it was in the middle of the water. Without warning another whirlpool appeared.

"Ciatra!" Tamayo cried, distressed at her current dilemma when a strike of inspiration gave her an idea.

Shouting at the top of her lungs Tamayo called on Ciatra's power.

"CRY OF THE WILDBEAST!"

With a gray light, Ciatra appeared out of blade. The crowd watched on with stunned silence as the magnificent bobcat roared. Suddenly bitbeasts started appearing out of thin air.

"Whoa! What is going on here?" Max cried, surprised, "I've never seen anything like folks! This is a real treat to see!"

The only one in the audience who wasn't fazed at all by her show of power was Tala, he leaned back comfortably into the stadium's seat.

"The wench is getting good," he muttered to himself as a lavender-haired boy looked over. As sudden as Ciatra's cry came, it died. Instead her roar was resonated by several other cries as free spirits appeared to help her out of the whirlpool. Schools of trout created a raft with their bodies to keep her afloat as the birds flew and grabbed her fur with their claws, flapping their wings furiously.

"I'm not out of the game yet!" Tamayo cried determinedly. The water calmed once more as the spirits gathered for an attack on Esilé.

'_Hmm, she's better than I thought. Let's see if she can take this attack on full water. Ready Esilé?'_

**/As ready as I'll ever be, little one/** came her calm reply.

"I hope you're ready for this Tamayo. I've been holding back, but I won't anymore. I don't even need Esilé to defeat you! SERPENT'S TWISTER!"

The water started to gather around my orange blade as it spun quicker. The intimidating water structure started to build up pressure as the water swirled around the spinning blade. As the towering twister hit each spirit, they vaporized, returning to where they came from. Soon Ciatra was the only bitbeast left standing, fur bristled as the twister headed for her.

"It's been fun, Tamayo, but it's time to end it! Esilé! Send the twister at Ciatra!"

The twister was suddenly released from its confines as it flew quickly at Ciatra. She roared in pain upon contact with the deadly column of water, disintegrating back into her blade in defeat. Tamayo's granite-colored beyblade slowly came to a stop, sinking into the water.

"And the winner is Reine! Give it up for both the bladers for the awesome battle!"

The audience cheered appreciatively at the display of power on both our parts. I called Esilé back into my hand as Tamayo climbed carefully into the dish to pull her blade from the water. As she stepped out, I strode forward and clasped Tamayo's hand in a handshake.

"I hope we can battle again someday."

"Yeah," Tamayo answered cheerfully as she returned the handshake, "Me too."

Walking back to the remaining group of bladers, Mariah stepped forward to congratulate me on my win.

"Great job Reine! You're getting powerful! You were awesome, too, Tamayo! If we aren't careful, one of you guys might replace Tyson as the world champion!"

We broke out laughing as the others looked on amused; Tyson was shouting indignantly in the background.

"Now we'll choose our second pair of bladers!" Max called as he turned everyone's attention back to the flashing screen. Pictures flew through the screened, only resonating as a colored blur. After a few seconds, it stopped and indicated the next two bladers.

"The next two battle are Mao Chou, otherwise known as Mariah, and Kai Hiwatari!"

The crowd cheered enthusiastically, shouting encouraging comments at their favorite blader. The computer started choosing the dish, the pictures zooming quickly across the black background of the screen before stopping on what seemed to be the top of a mountain.

"It appears they have to battle it out on top of a secluded mountain top! The snow and ice will be hard to maneuver in not to mention the hidden rocks under all that white slush! Bladers ready? Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I know that a lot of you want to kill me now with all my cliffies. xD It makes you look forward to the next chapter, no? Since these chapters are a lot longer than my usual ones, it might take me more time to whip something up. This chapter took me two days (with rest of course) to finish writing and editing. A combined total of 8-10 hours I would estimate. --;

So can you see the budding relationship? –nudge nudge– The romance and drama isn't going to be the dominant genre in this story but there will plenty fluff scenes later on. :D I hope I satisfy those fluff fans out there who look forward to some BladerxOC fluff. I'm only setting up the relationships for later. x3 Stay tuned for more!

I have over 400 hits and only 18 reviews.. D: That's makes me really sad… –sniff–

Thank you **whyamidoingthis01** for confirming Miguel's ethnicity. :) I really appreciate it!

**Ms. Controversy – I can't reply to your awesome reviews so I'm going to say it here. I appreciate the time you put into my fic and review! Thanks for the support and I think your fic is one of the best! I'm waiting for the next update of "Dirty Little Secret". ;D**

I would like to thank the following reviewers for being totally cool and awesome!

**Saber Ice, whyamidoingthis01, Ms. Controversy, DaCow Takao, soldier4Christ, and last but not least Tennisgurl!**

You guys make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	9. Clash of the Ancients Part II

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 8 – Clash of the Ancients (Part II) – (Proofread and Edited – Please read the Re-Posted Author's Note beneath the original one. Thanks!)**

**Reine's POV**

I watched carefully as Kai released his blade, sending it careening dangerously into the dish. Mariah's eyes slitted dangerously as her pink beyblade spun quickly on the peak of the mountain. I remember Mariah telling me about growing up in an isolated village up in the mountains of China so she should feel perfectly at home in this dish, but I had a feeling that Kai wasn't completely out of the loop. He probably had some sort of training or experience similar to hers as she grew up. You ask me how I know? Well, considering the fact that he just tore up the mountain and over the white slush, dogging the rocks without problems, as if it's nothing, I would think he knows what he's doing.

"Wait for it Galux!" Mariah shouted, her eyes trained on Kai's blue blade as it hurtled closer. **(AN: I will be mixing the attacks of the bitbeasts from seasons one through three.)**

"Dranzer! Slam her off the peak!" Kai shouted as he urged his blade to speed up. As his blade picked up speed and was almost upon Mariah's pink blade, Mariah shouted, "Galux! Cat Scratch Attack!"

Leaping off its stationary spot, her blade hurtled down and left a large gash on Kai's blue blade, nearly toppling it off the peak.

"Oooh! That's gotta hurt, folks!" Max called into the mike, wincing at the damage Kai's blade sustained. I watched as Kai clenched his teeth forcefully just like he did when I was playing possum at the beginning of school year.

_'That must be the way he shows frustration,'_ I noted, mentally putting it down for future reference. Kai wasn't easy to read like other bladers so I need as much information on his as possible so I can have an advantage if I battle him.

"Enough playing! Dranzer! Fire arrow!" Kai called as his blade found its balance on the mountain after reeling from Mariah's devastating attack. Quickly zigzagging down the mountain, his blade collided strongly against Mariah's, catching her off guard. Fire suddenly spiraled out of his blade as his rotational speed increased even more.

"It looks like Kai isn't taking any prisoners!" Max shouted his commentary loudly, "He's really turning up the heat!"

I could feel the heat get to me. I felt slightly lightheaded as beads of sweat crawled down my forehead and the nape of my neck. Tamayo wasn't faring much better. The only ones who seemed unaffected were Brooklyn and Loréndoz. Even Sai looked a little beaten by the heat.

"Now Dranzer! Flame Saber!" Kai shouted causing his blade to release even more fire. The snow was rapidly melting off the mountain, surrounding it in a makeshift moat.

"Galux! Dodge it!" Mariah shouted desperately, her hair damp with sweat.

_'It must be worse there than here. She's a lot closer than we are.'_

As Dranzer moved in for the kill, Galux pulled a Houdini as she suddenly disappeared.

"What? Galux just disappeared! How's that possible?" Max cried as he scanned the stadium.

"Cat Bite, Galux!" Mariah suddenly shouted, pointing a finger at the confused Dranzer. Suddenly a blob of pink hurtled through the air and slammed onto Kai's blade, creating a cloud of smoke.

"Whoa! That was unexpected! Mariah isn't out of the game yet!"

As the dust cloud disappeared, it revealed the two blades still spinning strongly.

_'Wow, they're so good! No wonder they're professionals!'_

"I'm not giving up so easily, Kai," Mariah said, panting heavily as an equally exhausted Kai glared back at her.

"End it Galux! CAT SCRATCH ATTACK!"

Galux tilted on her axial slightly before jumping up and hurtling towards Dranzer again.

"I'm not going to fall for that again! Dranzer! Spiral Survivor!"

Just as Galux was about to land on Dranzer, Dranzer burst out into a swirling fire tornado.

"Galux!" Mariah cried worriedly just as a pink blade flew out of the flaming vortex and past her shoulder to land with a 'click' on the stadium floor.

"And Kai takes the round!" Max yelled excitedly into the mike, trying to be heard over the cheering of the crazed crowd.

"That was intense! No wonder they're professionals!" Tamayo said wide-eyed.

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

Exchanging brief words over the stadium, Kai and Mariah headed back towards us.

"That was fucking awesome!" Tyson shouted excitedly, "You almost beat him, Mariah!"

Mariah grinned widely, "Next time I _will_ defeat him," then turning to Kai, "Better watch out Hiwatari. You will meet your match soon."

Kai only grunted in reply before leaning back on his heels, crossing his arms, and closing his eyes. Shrugging at each other, we turned our attention back to the ever-optimistic Max.

"Alright folks! We're moving onto the next match. Let's see who the next two challengers will be!"

Quickly spinning across the screen, the pictures suddenly stopped to reveal...

"And the next battle will be fought between Sai Okayama and Tyson Kinomiya!"

"Alright! It's finally my turn!" Tyson whooped, running up the steps to the stadium. Sai followed silently, her face devoid of any emotion. Glancing quickly at the screen, I realized it had already chosen the dish. It seemed to be dense, tropical rainforest. With a rumble, the stadium floor opened to reveal the actual dish.

"This is no easy dish to maneuver through considering all the trees and undergrowth, not to mention hidden roots and vines. Bladers ready?"

Sai quickly whipped out her crimson blade, stringing her ripcord expertly through the launcher and clipping her crimson blade onto the base, followed shortly by Tyson.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Releasing their blade with expert ease, the blades were enveloped with a sea of green. Their movements can only be spotted by the slight rustling and swaying of the bushes. A yell from Tyson is the only thing that tipped others off that he was being attacked.

"Dragoon! Lose her!"

The rustling became louder as a small object created a trail in the dense undergrowth. No one could tell which blade it was due to the obstructing foliage.

"Now! Attack!" Sai cried, still keeping her face blank.

"Dodge Dragoon!" Tyson shouted in retaliation as Dragoon revved forward only to be sent flipping through the air from tripping over a hidden tree root, "NO! DRAGOON!"

Suddenly the crimson blade shot out of a near by tree, hitting Dragoon as he was twisting through the air and knocking him clean out the arena.

"And the winner is Sai!" Max said into the microphone, dumbfounded that Tyson lost so easily, not even having the time to call out his bitbeast. Walking calmly down the steps of the stadium, Sai sauntered over to the rest of the group.

"Wow. That was quick Sai," I said slowly, narrowing my eyes her slightly.

"Yeah! You defeated Tyson without breaking a sweat and he's the world champ!" Tamayo stated excitedly, "You know what that makes you? Better than the world champ of course!"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Sai stared at Loréndoz out of the corner of her eye.

'_There's something about her. Tyson might have been cocky and overconfident, but even so, the match shouldn't have ended that quickly. She has more power than she's letting on, and that brings me back to the bitbeast theory.'_

**/You know it's possible. She's never said anything otherwise./**

'_True. We'll find out eventually.'_

"Now that leaves our two remained bladers! Please step up to the stadium!" Max's voice floated out of the speakers overhead. Making my way quickly over to Brooklyn, I whispered into his ear, "Brooklyn, be careful. I have a bad feeling about him. According to Eris he defeated Garland without breaking a sweat. There are weird vibes rolling off his aura."

Without letting anything slip past his placid mask, he nodded as if what I said was something he hears everyday.

'_He's a good actor,'_ I thought absently as Tamayo went up to him and gave him a small peck on the cheek and whispered into his ear.

_'She must be telling him good luck and giving him a lucky kiss to go with it,'_ came my idle thought as I watched with a small smile, _'So she must know about Brooklyn's feelings but not Tala's. Well, that's strange.'_

I looked into the crowd and noticed Tala leaning forward tensely, his hands clenched tightly around his seat's armrest making his knuckles white.

_'Hmm, looks like Tala saw that little kiss.'_

"Let's reveal what dish they'll be using!" Max shouted into the mike as different pictures started to flash across the computer screen to land on a unique dish with tons of pillars spread throughout the dish, standing at great heights. The dish rose slowly out of the stadium floor, white smoke billowing out of the gaping hole. As it reached the surface, the white smoke was so thick that the floor of the dish wasn't visible.

"Behold the 'Pathway to Heaven' dish!" Max said, "It may not be anywhere on earth but sure is unusual! The bottom of the dish is hidden by the smoke so it remains unknown. Would the bladers take the chance and go down there? Bladers ready?"

Brooklyn slowly slid his ripcord into his launcher before attaching a black beyblade. Loréndoz pulled a deep blue blade and black launcher from one of the pockets of his trench coat. Slipping into launching position, they looked to Max for the countdown.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

"Go Zeus," Brooklyn called lazily as he willed his black beyblade to jump from column to column effortlessly. Loréndoz launched silently sending his blade to balance precariously on one of the lower columns. Both blades stood spinning, staring each other down with neither backing off as Brooklyn and Loréndoz waited for the other to begin attacking. Finally growing bored of the current situation, Brooklyn called languidly, "I'm getting bored. Zeus! Attack!"

The black blade shot at the deep blue blade with deadly precision.

"Avoid him," Loréndoz commanded quietly, keeping his piercing gaze on the calm Brooklyn across from him, slightly narrowing his eyes. Tilting slightly the deep blue blade managed to avoid defeat by mere centimeters as Brooklyn's blade came crashing down on the column it was previously occupying.

"That was quick!" Max commented, watching the battle avidly.

"How'd he jump so fast? He's even faster than Brooklyn!" shouted Tamayo, alarmed. I only watched on silently, studying his moves. I had a feeling that he would reach the finals and that whoever faces him will be in some deep shit. Turning to exam Brooklyn's face, I noticed that he held a peeved expression instead of the placid one that he usually held.

"Zeus!" he called, irritated, "Attack again!"

Once more Loréndoz's deep blue blade avoided the attack by mere centimeters.

_'It's as if Loréndoz is toying with him.'_

Brooklyn was openly fuming now. No one has ever cleanly avoided his attacks, not even Kai!

"Zeus!" he roared as a black light shot out of his beyblade revealing a centaur-like bitbeast with a face of a dog, its black wings unfurling from its shoulder blades.

"Brooklyn has brought out the big guns!" Max shouted worriedly into his mike, remembering the BEGA incident and hoping feverishly that what happened back then wouldn't happen again considering where they are and the citizens in the city.

"King of Darkness!" he commanded in a crazed voice as he lost the last traces of his cool.

"Brookyln!" Tamayo shouted worriedly. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, preventing her from running up to him, I shook my head.

"Let him handle it. I'm sure he knows what he's doing. He knows what's at risk if a repeat of the BEGA incident were to happen."

"I hope so," she replied anxiously, never letting her eyes leave Brooklyn's hunched form as Zeus charged the deep blue blade.

"Clytem! Dodge him!" Loréndoz shouted, feeling the shift of power in the air as Brooklyn gathered all the negative energy into his blade.

"No chance!" Brooklyn shouted insanely as his black blade grinded into Loréndoz's deep blue one, giving him no opportunity to retaliate, "Attack him! King of Darkness!"

A black light aura gathered around Zeus as black bolts struck the already wobbling blade.

"No! Clytem!" Loréndoz called worriedly, openly showing emotion for the first time since the tournament started. Feeling as if he's left no choice, Loréndoz resorted to calling on his bitbeast's powers.

"Clytem! Arise!"

A navy glow filled the stadium as tendrils of steam made its way out of his now rapidly spinning blade. Slowly, the mist rose until it covered even the highest of the columns obstructing everything from view.

"What's happening down there?" Max cried as he leaned over his raised platform, trying to see through the smoke.

"Binding Vice!" called Loréndoz as a roar of pain came from Zeus. Suddenly, a tentacle shot out of the smoke, wrapped tightly around a struggling Zeus as it continued to squeeze him. Zeus cried out again as his left wing was crushed.

"Zeus!" Brooklyn cried, aghast at the turn of events. Loréndoz's bitbeast had tilted the tables in his favor.

"What the hell is that thing?" Mariah whispered, staring at the huge tentacle wrapped around the helpless bitbeast.

"An octopus or maybe a squid?" Tyson guessed, staring in disbelief as Zeus was tossed around like a rag doll. By now, Kai had even opened his eyes to stare in wonder at the unfolding scene. It had taken Kai every ounce of his strength to outwit and overpower Zeus in his battle in the Justice 5 tournament while Loréndoz made it seem like child play.

"No. It's a kraken," Sai said quietly, gazing steadily at the now calm Loréndoz.

"Who the hell _is _this guy?" Tamayo asked, afraid to find the answer.

_'That's a good question. Who is this guy and why does he seem so familiar?'_

I felt Esilé shift restlessly in the back of my mind, even more agitated than before for some unknown reason, or one that I couldn't see.

"That's enough, now finish him," Loréndoz commanded, almost offhandedly, as the tentacle tightened its hold on the flailing centaur, crushing the bitbeast and causing it to disintegrate back into its blade.

"And the winner is Loréndoz!" Max said, surprised, to a deafening silence. _No one_ had expected that to happen. Sure a couple of people expected Brooklyn to loose but not in an utterly devastating way that he did. Loréndoz had made it look as if it was _easy_ to defeat the beyblading prodigy.

"As announced before, there will be a brief intermission between the quarterfinals and the semifinals for the bladers to collect their wits and repair any broken parts. Please use the restrooms or get snacks at this time. The intermission will last for fifteen minutes. Thank you!" and with that said, Max jumped off his platform and raced to the, now, kneeling and broken Brooklyn.

"Brooky!" Tamayo shouted before running up to the stadium, now unrestrained by my hand.

"Poor Brooklyn," Mariah whispered as she turned to join Tamayo and Max in helping Brooklyn down the steps of the stadium and into the dim hall where they will be hidden from prying eyes. I turned my cold gaze onto a smug Loréndoz, glaring a hole into his head. Sai turned away and followed the devastated group into the hall.

"Come on, Tanaka. We're going," Kai murmured softly, glaring heatedly at the smirking blader. Nodding slightly, I allowed Kai to place his hand on the nape of my neck and steer me away from the stadium, followed by a fuming Tyson. Once we were all in the safe sanctuary of the locker room, excluding Loréndoz of course, Tyson released the scream of frustration he was holding.

"ARGH! That son of a bitch! If I was still in the tournament, I'd kick his sorry ass all the way to Mexico!"

"Why Mexico?" Tamayo asked curiously even though it was inappropriate in the current situation.

"Because it's on the other side of the world… and…well…I DON'T KNOW, but that's beside the point! Whoever gets to battle him next should show no mercy!"

A lot of heads nodded in the room. With a sigh, I leaned back, wary of the upcoming battles. When I leaned back, I noticed that I was leaning onto something warm…something _alive_. I froze as I felt something fall from the back of my neck and crawl around my waist, holding onto me securely. Slowly raising my eyes, I spotted familiar crimson eyes staring, preoccupied, at an angry Tyson.

_'Damn! How did I get in this position and with him no less!'_

Trying to slip discreetly out of Kai's hold, I felt his grip tightened.

"Eep!" I squeaked as he hit a ticklish spot, alerting him to our current predicament.

"What the hell?" he shouted as he quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back from me.

"You came onto me you bastard!" I said hotly, altering the truth a little as I felt myself flush, "Remember our discussion earlier about personal space? Well I would appreciate it if you _stay out_!"

"So you're saying it's my fault?" he asked heatedly.

"Yes. Got a problem with that? You're the one with your hand around my waist!" I shot back, leaning forward to stare at him straight into the eyes, daring him to challenge my statement.

"Yeah! I have a problem with that!" he answered, leaning to stare right back into my eyes.

"You guys look like you're about to kiss," Tamayo commented suddenly, causing us to rear back and take a few steps away from each other. I felt myself pink at the statement. I had forgotten we weren't the only ones in the room.

_'And that means they heard and saw everything,'_ I thought, mortified.

"It's not what it looks like!" I said desperately, trying to find my way out of this situation.

"Sure it's not," Mariah drawled, looking at us mischievously. Even Brooklyn snapped out of his reverie to look at us with a spark of interest in his dead eyes.

"It isn't!" we retorted simultaneously before turning to glare at each other.

"Ah! Young love," Tyson teased, poking Kai in the arm.

"Tyson…you might want to stop that. You don't know when he's going to bl-" Mariah tried to warn, but she her warning came too late when Kai whacked Tyson, hard, on the head.

"You should learn to shut up," Tamayo snickered, laughing at Tyson's unfortunate dilemma. Suddenly the door shot open as Max's head popped in, interrupting our conversation.

"Hey guys! Intermission's over so you guys better hurry up and get your arses out there or Loréndoz will win by default."

Relieved that Max managed to get me out of that situation, I hurried out of the room and toward the stadium. I immediately caught sight of Loréndoz as I walked into the brightly lit room, blinding me temporarily.

"I've got to stop doing that," I muttered under my breath as I shielded my eyes from the harsh glare.

"Stop doing what?" asked Tamayo as stepped out beside me, "Jesus that's bright!"

"That's what," I answered simply as my eyes adjusted to the bright light. Tamayo blinked rapidly, trying to rid her vision of the dancing light motes. **(AN: Don't you hate it when that happens?)**

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen!" Max started, once again back on his raised platform, "We'll be starting the semi-finals so please finish your businesses at this time! Okay, introducing the semi-finalists, please bring your hands together for Reine Tanaka, Kai Hiwatari, Sai Okayama, and last but certainly not least Loréndoz!"

Cheering filled the stadium as we stepped forward from the rest of our group.

"Break a leg Reine!" Tamayo cried encouragingly as she walked away with the rest of the quarterfinalists to the VIP seats, set up for them by Mr. Dickenson, to watch the rest of the tournament.

"Now the computer shall choose the next to competitors! Who shall be the lucky bladers?" Max asked as he gestured towards the large screen hanging above the stadium as our pictures flashed quickly across the screen. With a loud beep the screen stopped and I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

'_Great. JUST great. I guess he will get his rematch after all.'_

I turned my head to stare at Kai, I saw him smirk challengingly at me.

'_I guess I can't just opt to loose now, can I?'_

"And the next battle will be Kai Hiwatari vs. Reine Tanaka!" Max cried excitedly into the mike as the computer started to choose the dish. It stopped and blinked revealing a red dish that looked rather plain.

"It seems they will be battling out in the Mars Dish!" Max explained, "This particular dish is adjusted to Mars' special gravity field and it'll be tricky to maneuver with the adjusted friction and soil texture. There may be some hidden booby-traps hidden under the red sand. Can the bladers avoid them? Now, bladers take your positions!"

Kai and I made our way up to the stadium, staring intently at the rather plain yet unusual dish we'll be battling in. Whipping out my blade and attaching it to my launcher, I waited patiently for Max to start counting down.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Pulling hard on my ripcord, my orange blade landed without much problem into the dish causing the red dust to billow at its impact, and to my astonishment, it _bounced_.

_'It must be the reduced gravitational field,'_ I concluded as my blade finally settled without bouncing anymore. It looked like Kai was having as much trouble as I was as Dranzer bounced a couple of times before settling. Taking advantage of his currently preoccupied state, I called to Esilé, "Slam Esilé!"

My orange blade left a trail of red dust as it shot forward, barreling straight into an unsuspecting Kai and almost pushing Dranzer out of the dish.

"Push back, Dranzer!" Kai commanded as Dranzer regained her footing and started to shove back.

"Break away!" I quickly commanded as Kai suddenly channeled a blast of energy into his blade, giving it a power boost. Obeying my command, Esilé shot away causing Dranzer to almost careen out the dish. Kai started to grit his teeth.

_'Getting frustrated, aren't we, Kai? Goading you seemed to work earlier, but will it work again? Might as well try.'_

"You're slacking behind, Kai," I called tauntingly, "What's the matter? Getting slow in your old age?"

Kai growled at me, warning me that I was over-stepping myself. Ignoring him, I continued.

"It seems to me you're loosing your touch, but don't worry, we'll put you out of your misery. Esilé!"

My orange blade started to circle his menacingly, looking for an opportunity to attack.

"Those will be your last words Tanaka," Kai gritted out, obviously riled up now.

_'Good. Now he won't be able to think as straight.'_

I felt a sudden raise in his power levels.

_'What the! Oh shit! I forgot he could channel his anger into raw power. No matter, I have him where I want him.'_

"Dranzer! Flame Gigs Turbo!"

Dranzer emerged from her blade with a loud screech. His blade started to spin quicker, causing sparks fly with his ever increasing friction. With a sudden roar, his blade was aflame.

"Attack! DRANZER!" he screamed as his phoenix swooped down onto my blade, slamming into it powerfully. I felt the air get hotter and hotter. Pulling on the color of my shirt, I tried to cool myself down. Sweat crept down my forehead and into my eyes, blurring my vision. Closing my eyes and quickly shaking my head, I tried to keep my head level and clear. As the temperature reached optimum levels and my blade parts started to melt, I snapped my eyes open.

_'It's time. Are you ready?'_

**/Yes. Let's win this./**

"ESILÉ!" I called, "ARISE! SERPENT'S TWISTER!" 

The water that was transpired by everyone began to gather around my blade, evaporating upon contact creating a thick fog. A cerulean beam shot out of my blade, dimmed by the fog. I felt the temperature drop drastically as more water gathered around the stadium.

"What's going on?" Kai asked confusedly, he hadn't called off his attack, yet the temperature was dropping instead of increasing, as it should've been. Silently, like a phantom, Esilé rose from her blade knowing that she has the element of surprise. Not bothering to disperse the concealing fog, she slid forward and reared up, ready to attack the confused phoenix. A twister of water started to gather around my blade as Esilé's eyes began to glow.

"Now! Release the twister!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Obeying my command, the huge column of water was released from Esilé's control, trapping a startled Dranzer in the middle, extinguishing her burning flames. More steam was released from the towering structure as water evaporated, making the fog thicker than it already was.

"No Dranzer! Break free!" Kai called desperately, trying to see through the dense fog, feeling his bitbeast's despair.

"It's no good Kai, she's completely trapped now," I spoke tauntingly before turning back to Esilé, "Finish her!"

All seven her Esilé's heads lunged into the twister, unfazed by the pressure of the water. They wrapped themselves around Dranzer and started to squeeze her mercilessly, giving her no room to retaliate. As Dranzer's panic escalated to an unbearable level, she gave one final cry before returning to her blade as it came to a stop.

"Dranzer!" Kai cried as he felt her retreat. Esilé quickly withdrew from the raging water and retreated back into her blade, knowing that she can't be revealed until the final round. The fog slowly dispersed, sending a cool breeze throughout the hot stadium. Sighs of relief were heard as the breeze reached the audience, purging them from the accursed heat. When Max leaned over his platform to examine the dish, his eyes widened at the results.

"And we have a winner! Give it up for Reine Tanaka!"

The audience broke out into raging applause, pleased that one of the locals made it into the finals. Waiting for Kai to retrieve his blade, I followed him off the stadium floor.

"That was a good match," I called to him as he started away causing him to pause.

"Don't expect to win so easily next time. Actually, don't expect to win at all. The outcome will be different the next time we battle."

Turning away, he walked towards the VIP seats as I shook my head at his retreating back.

_'He's just like a phoenix. Rising out of its ashes, it's reborn stronger than before.'_

**/Dranzer is well suited with him./**

Snapping out of my thoughts, I saw Sai and Loréndoz step up to the dish.

_'Good luck, Sai. You will need it against this guy, no matter how easily or quickly you defeated the world champion.'_

"Let's see what the next dish will be!"

Pictures flashed across the screen, stopping with an enlarged picture of tundra dish.

"The final semifinal battle will be fought in an arctic dish! This slippery dish is hard to maneuver over not mention what would happen if they happen to cross some thin ice. Bladers take your positions!"

Sai readied her launcher, copying Loréndoz's swift actions.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

With a flourish both blades landed on separate sides of the dish, one crimson and one deep blue.

"You're making a mistake," Sai spoke icily, eyeing Loréndoz with a confident air.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he sneered, not tearing his eyes of her stationary blade, "Don't think that your talking will distract me from the battle! Attack Clytem!"

"I'm not trying to distract you, just giving you a warning. It would not end up the way you planned. It's too dangerous," Sai stated seriously.

_'What the hell is Sai going on about?'_

"You really think that your warning will stop the activity of the Skullz? Well think again!"

_'So he's the one sent by the Skullz! My suspicions were correct, but how did Sai know?'_

Sai looked on unfazed, hiding her confusion.

"If you won't take my warning, then you shall fall," she finally said, avoiding his comment on being a Skullz member, "I'm done talking, let's battle!"

"Clytem! Finish her quickly so we can get on with our business!"

Loréndoz's blade slammed viciously into Sai's at his urgings while Sai just kept looking ahead stonily.

"Are you quite done?" she asked boredly as he snarled back at her, "I guess it's my turn. Keira! Attack!"

Backing away from Loréndoz's onslaught, the crimson blade doubled-back and slammed viciously into him, causing him to wobble on the unsteady ice.

"I guess you're not all bark no bite, but you've to do better than that to defeat me! Clytem! Emerge and use Binding Vice!" he commanded.

_'He's not taking any chances. Did what Sai say unnerve him?'_

The mist from earlier filled the dish, distorting the navy light shining out of his bitchip. Tendrils of the mist curled around Sai and her crimson blade threateningly. A distinct screech filled the arena as his giant bitbeast reared its ugly head.

"Cripes! That thing is huge!" I vaguely heard Tamayo shout from her seat in the audience and I have to agree. It's about the same size as Esilé, and that's _big_. I watched, mesmerized, as the kraken reached out, with one of its many tentacles, and attempted to crush Sai's blade.

"Keira!" Sai cried sharply as a red glow was seen emitting from her blade, shining out of Clytem's thick tentacle. With a loud cry, a huge lizard was seen rearing out her blade.

_'Just as I thought! She does have a bitbeast!'_

The rose-colored lizard turned out to be one of the largest in the world, only found on Java Island in the Philippines. **(AN: If you guessed Komodo Dragon, then you're right.)** It's thick, black claws clicked dangerously on the ice as it stared down the giant kraken.

"Now Keira! Psychic Blast!"

The dragon's eyes shown white for a split second before they returned to their original black color. It seemed as if nothing happened, but that's when I realized Loréndoz's bitbeast acting strangely. It seemed to be attacking itself.

_'What! Why is it doing that? Did Sai's bitbeast make it attack itself?'_

"Clytem! What are you doing! STOP!" Loréndoz shouted desperately at his bitbeast as he failed to control it.

"Like my attack? It allows me to control part of your bitbeast. Nifty, uh?" Sai said tauntingly, her eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Shut up! Clytem! Enough fooling around! Show her what happens when you mess with an Ancient!"

_'An Ancient?'_ I thought questioningly. I felt Esilé shift uncomfortably. Getting suspicious at her behavior, I decided to ask her.

_'Esilé, you wouldn't happen to know what an Ancient is, do you? You've been acting strange throughout the tournament and even stranger when Loréndoz released Clytem. Is there something you're not telling me?'_

**/It's nothing important, little one/** she said uneasily, her scales rustling as she moved restlessly in the back of my mind.

_'I won't pry, but I will find out sooner or later whether you like it or not,'_ I threatened. Esilé hummed lowly in reply showing that she understood. Loréndoz's shout brought me back to Earth as I watched in horror filled fascination at his display of power.

"Clytem!" Loréndoz called as his bitbeast lifted one of its tentacles and crushed the ice, creating a large hole through the ice and revealing the murky water underneath. It kept repeating the same action until an entire half of the dish was destroyed and only water remained. The kraken eased itself into the subzero waters, submerging completely. Sai and her bitbeast just stood back, observing silently. Suddenly a loud rumbling was heard as the rest of the ice collapsed, pulled underwater by Clytem. Sai's blade skipped through pieces of falling debris, landing smoothly on a floating iceberg.

_'What's he doing?'_ I thought, confused at the bitbeast's actions.

**/He's preparing for his attack/** came Esilé's solemn reply as she watched the kraken build up his power.

"NOW CLYTEM! RIPTIDE!"

With a loud whoosh, the entire body of water was pulled back, creating a ten-foot wave that towered over Sai's helpless blade.

"Keira!" Sai shouted, "Stop the wave!"

Her rose-colored Komodo Dragon started to glow a faint purple as he focused his mind, mentally trying to force the attack back.

"It's no good. Your puny bitbeast doesn't stand a chance against an Ancient. Show her true power! Release it now!"

With a loud splash, the wave crashed over the crimson blade and its bitbeast, dragging the floating piece of ice, that her blade was balancing on, underwater. The water started to pry the blade apart as strong currents flowed in different directions, tugging on the helpless blade. Keira wasn't faring any better than his blade. He tried to swim through the water only to be grabbed by one muscled tentacle.

"Destroy him!" Loréndoz called ruthlessly as the kraken tightened his hold on the struggling lizard.

"NO! KEIRA!"

Now it was Sai's turn to panic, her cool façade completely gone. With one final cry, Keira disappeared back into his bitchip as the blade was torn apart by the sheer power of the riptide.

"The winner is Loréndoz!" Max cried to a quiet audience, stunned to silence by his ruthlessness. Sai silently made her way into the dish, retrieving the pieces of her blade. Loréndoz waited patiently by the dish, staring at me challenging.

_'So it turns out that I'm the one in deep ship,'_ I thought to myself, remembering my silent comment from earlier.

"Do you need a break from your battle, Loréndoz?" Max asked, acting unbiased, which was expected for his job as referee.

"No. I can take on this little girl without any rest," he sneered, leering at me.

"Well, if you say so," Max said uncertainly, scratching the back of his head, "What about you, Reine? Do you need a brief intermission to fix up your blade?"

_'I guess I can use this time to ask Sai.'_

I nodded showing I would like a brief intermission. As Max announced my decision to the audience, I hurried over to Sai.

"Hey Sai," I called getting her attention, "There's a couple of things I have to ask you."

"Okay, ask away," she said quietly, staring intently at her bitchip.

"How did you know he was a Skullz member?"

She looked up, confused.

"I didn't. I don't even know what he meant by that."

_'Okay, that's strange. She doesn't know about the Skullz? Didn't she hear about them growing up he– Wait! I don't even know if she grew up here! She probably didn't if she doesn't know about them.'_

"Okay then," I started hesitatingly, "What did you warn him about? And what did you mean by 'It would not end up the way you planned. It's too dangerous'?"

Her eyes lit up as I asked her these questions.

"I was hoping you would ask that. I've been meaning to tell you, but it's not my place to unless you ask," she started excitedly.

_'Okay, I've never seen this side of Sai before. This must be big to get her worked up.'_

"I was warning him about the outcome of the tournament," she started, "I only entered the tournament to stop him from reaching the finals, but it turned out to be futile attempt, uh? Destiny will always have her way."

I stared confusedly at her.

"It's the Ancient inside his blade," she explained, "I needed to stop it from battling you."

"What? Why? Wait, rewind. First of all, explain what an ancient is."

Taking a deep breath, Sai started to explain to me something that would make me never look at Esilé the same way again.

"An Ancient is a bitbeast that's been on Earth since the beginning of time. There are only a few out there. One of them happened to be Clytem, the kraken. Then there is Esilé, the hydra. There are many more out there, but that's not important now. From what I can see, Loréndoz just wants to win the tournament and scare the audience shitless. The reason I had to stop them from battling is because of an age-old feud between the two. They've always quarreled and fought for the position as the Ruler of the Seas. When humans started to be aware of the two bitbeasts a few hundred years ago, they were given the terms 'kraken' and 'hydra'. Clytem was known for attacking and destroying ships as they sailed across the open waters while Esilé was known to protect the ships from various bad happenings, such as pirate raids and storms. They were the undetermined Rulers of the Open Waters and still are. It would be devastating if they were to fight again. The damage may be too great to be reversed. All of land may be submerged underwater again like many millennia ago."

I was stunned speechless. I knew Esilé was powerful, but not _this_ powerful. It's a lot of power to be able to submerge all of land underwater.

_'I guess that blonde idiot doesn't know the full extent of his bitbeast's power otherwise he wouldn't be competing in small-fry tournaments like this one. I guess that's one thing to be thankful for especially when the Skullz have such a strong weapon in their midst.'_

**/So now you know, little one. I didn't wish for you to know in case you treat me differently. I'm happy at my current position as your partner and equal./** Esilé said worriedly.

_'I guess I really am a little one compared to you. I finally understand now. Don't worry, I won't treat you any differently. You're still my closest friend and I will never give you up for anything.'_

Esilé thrummed happily, finally still after the entire day.

_'What do you say about kicking some kraken butt?'_ I asked cheerfully.

**/More than ready to/** came her tart reply.

_'Just what I wanted to hear!'_

I heard Max call for Loréndoz and me to head back to the arena. Remembering my final question, I called out to Sai again.

"Wait a sec! How do you know this?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Keira. He can see into the future and he usually tells me when something big is coming. I didn't get to see the complete vision, this time, so I only worked with the bit I saw."

Nodding in reply, I headed back towards the stadium.

"Good luck!" I heard her call.

Working my way up the stadium and onto the arena, I watched Max for him to determine which one of us get to choose the dish.

"I'm surprised you didn't back out," Loréndoz sneered, "Do you honestly think you can defeat the awesome power of my Ancient, the Terror of the Deep as they used to call him?"

"I don't think, I know," I answered shortly, glaring coldly at the smirking Skullz member.

"Don't go crying to Mommy when I defeat you," he taunted, "I need to set an example to show these people what would happen if someone messes with the Skullz and you're the perfect guinea pig. They've been rowdy and fighting back lately. One even got Destruction arrested. Destruction was a fool and I'm not going to end up like him! Prepare to fight for your life, little girl!"

"Well folks! Welcome to the final round of the Bakuten Citywide Tournament!" Max cried into his microphone, "It's being fought between two local bladers! Please give it up for Loréndoz and Reine Tanaka!"

Applause broke out as the computer screen started to choose which one of us would be lucky and get to choose a dish. I held my breath as the computer started to slow down. With one final beep, I saw my picture flashing victoriously. Releasing my breath slowly, I felt a grin starting to crawl across my face.

"It's decided! Reine Tanaka gets to choose the next dish type while Mr. Dickenson chooses the dish! So Reine, what would it be?"

"Water base dish, no land," I answered immediately, having thought out my course of action. You must think I'm crazy to put Loréndoz in his element, but you forget that I'm also in mine. Max looked skeptically at me.

"Okay! You heard her folks, so Mr. Dickenson, what will the next dish be?"

"Well, I was thinking the 'Deep Ravine' dish," answered the old man cheerfully, "I'm expecting a good battle, kids."

I nodded slightly at the kindly old man.

_'That's perfect! You know what to do, right Esilé?'_

**/Everything's going according to plan, young one. Do not fret yourself. All will be well./**

"The 'Deep Ravine' dish is a specialized dish filled completely with water! It's fashioned after the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench! Many unknown creatures lurk in the deep fathoms. Will the bladers be able to survive the dish?"

Quickly readying my blade, I waited for Max's countdown.

"Bladers ready? Three! Two! One! LET IT RIP!"

* * *

**(AN: Should I stop here? Nah! I'm not that mean. :D)

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**

I released Esilé onto the water, watching her glide smoothly over the mirror-like surface. Loréndoz followed my example as he sent Clytem into the water, landing just as smoothly before remaining stationary on the water's smooth surface. Then it hit me why he seemed so familiar.

_'He's one of the Skullz leader's right-hand men! I remember his water technique anywhere!'_

I had watched him take out some of the other members during my attack on them last summer. He was close with their leader, _very_ close. Max's voice snapped me out of my musings.

"Whoa! Would you look at that! I've never seen a blade sit on the water without sinking before!" Max cried, "This will be an amazing battle!"

_'It'll be the 'Clash of the Ancients','_ I thought to myself as I commanded Esilé to start attacking the opposing blade.

"Is that all you got?" Loréndoz sneered at me as his blade absorbed every hit, "It'll be too easy to defeat you! Clytem!"

_'Good. He's getting overconfident. Are you gathering power fast enough, Esilé?'_

**/I'm fine. He's not noticing anything. I'll be ready by the time you call for me. Don't try to stall him longer than necessary, little one, I'm not going to put you in danger./**

_'Roger Esilé,'_ I teased as she glared annoyed at me, reminding me it's not the time to be fooling around.

I dodged his attacks whenever I could and absorbed some of his weaker hits as I felt Esilé gathering her energy and the energy from the surrounding water.

_'We're almost fully charged. We're going to go out with a bang!'_

"Well, I'm bored," I heard Loréndoz yawn, "Time to get this over with. CLYTEM! BINDING VICE!"

I watched apprehensively as the mist rose out of his blade, his giant kraken bitbeast appearing faster than the last two times.

"Scared yet?" he taunted. I didn't reply because I was busy watching his bitbeast and trying to dodge his many tentacles. Without warning, I felt my shirt rip and a gash appear on my side.

_'What the hell!_

"Again Clytem!" I heard Loréndoz command again as another gash appeared on my right arm.

"It appears that Reine is being attack but I can't see the attacker! Mr. Dickenson is conversing with the judging committee to settle on a decision," Max stated anxiously, eyeing me worriedly, "And we have a verdict. The battle will remain in motion because there's no evidence that anything is really attacking the blader."

"WHAT! THAT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT!" I heard Tamayo shout indignantly. I saw the others try to calm her from the corner of my eyes.

_'Don't worry about me Tamayo, I'm fine,'_ I silently thought, hoping Tamayo will somehow get a drift of my thoughts and calm down. Another gash appearing on my thigh brought me back to the battle.

"Give up yet?" Loréndoz asked haughtily, obviously believing the battle was in the bag.

"Over my dead body," I gritted out. He laughed at my answer before turning to stare at me with crazed eyes.

"As you wish! It's your death! CLYTEM! BINDING VICE!"

This time I caught sight of, or rather felt, the attack as it hurtled towards me.

_'So that's how he's doing it! Smart, but not smart enough.'_

Taking the hit again, I felt a welt appear on my cheek from where the water lashed me.

'_He's clever for using the dish's element and using the dish, itself, to attack me, I'll give him that, but creating thin whips made of water particles, invisible to the human eye, to attack the opponent is playing really dirty.'_

He probably would've won the battle this way, but he didn't know my special bond with Esilé allowed me to feel the water particles around me. I'll be ready for his next attack. Glancing briefly at my blade, I saw it was still spinning strongly.

_'I won't be as easy to defeat as you believe.'_

I felt the shift in the particles around me as the whip hurtled toward me once again. As it neared me, I quickly jumped back causing the whip to miss.

"What!" I heard him scream at my reaction to his attack as I crouched down on my spot, ready to spring away if he attempted to attack me again.

"You won't escape again! Clytem! Attack again! Don't miss this time."

Again, I sensed the shift of water particles around me before a line of them headed quickly at my left calf. Leaping up, I avoided the attack again causing Loréndoz to growl in frustration.

"Come and get me, you coward! You're not manly enough to beat me in a battle fair and square so you resort to dirty and cheap tricks. Unfortunately for you, I'm immune to them," I taunted him.

_'Now it's my turn.'_

"COWARD! Who do you take me for! I'll show you who's a coward! CLYTEM! DESTORY HER BLADE!"

I grinned as his blade headed towards mine, intent on ripping it apart.

"Now Esilé! Reveal yourself!"

A cerulean light erupted from my blade as a light fog appeared, shimmering over the water of the dish. With a magnificent roar, all seven heads appeared followed by her muscled torso and powerful tail. The audience was awed into silence at her beauty. Many of the bladers, who have never seen her before, were slack-jawed as they stared wide-eyed at her gargantuan size. Roaring angrily, Esilé divided smoothly into the still waters and swum powerfully towards the semi-submerged kraken. It hissed in response, showing its rows upon rows of sharp teeth, before lashing out with all of its tentacles, attempting to grab Esilé and squeeze her to death.

"Not good enough! Esilé! Hold him down and complete charging!" I commanded. In one graceful movement, Esilé grabbed the kraken with her finned tail, squeezing it tightly as her seven heads reared back, mouths agape with balls of energy visibly gathering.

"You might want to step back," I warned Max seriously, never taking my eyes off of Esilé as she finished charging. Max nodded nervously, stepping off his platform and backing up to the VIP seats.

_'I want you to blast him with your attack in its original form, not the one we usually use.'_

**/I was thinking along the same line, little one. I'm ready whenever you are./**

Nodding slightly, I raised my arm and pointed at Loréndoz, speaking in a cold voice.

"This is the only warning I'm giving you. The Skullz should back off before I come and get all of you. Oh, and by the way, I was the one who got Destruction arrested, and you will be joining him in jail when I'm through with you."

Loréndoz stared at me in astonishment as I called my final attack.

"Esilé! JUDGEMENT OF THE DEEP!" 

All the orbs of energy gathered in the middle head, the hydrogen balls mixing with the charge water particles creating a powerful water beam.

"FIRE THE AQUA RAY!"

On my command, the charged beam was released, hitting the helpless kraken head on. There was loud explosion as water erupted everywhere, drenching everyone within a 20-foot radius. With a final cry of pain, Clytem retreated back into his blade. Slowly, Loréndoz's blade came to a stop and sunk to the bottom of the dish. Max took a tentative step forward. After a quick glance at the dish and catching sight of the obvious outcome, he raised the mike and shouted loudly, "AND WE HAVE A WINNER! GIVE IT UP FOR REINE TANAKA, THE NEW BAKUTEN CHAMPION!"

Cheers erupted out of the stands as the audience snapped out of their trances. A pair of policemen stepped forward before handcuffing Loréndoz before leading him away, using his confessions, from during the battle, as evidence to convict him for criminal activities. Slipping into the dish and ignoring my, now, wet jeans, I scooped his blade out of the water and slipped it into my pocket.

_'A blade this powerful isn't safe in the hands of the Skullz. I'll keep it, for now. What do you think, Esilé?'_

**/You make a good choice. I believe you're growing up./**

"Great job, Reine!" I heard Tamayo shout before glomping me and hugging me from behind. The rest of the bladers followed behind more slowly. I saw Mr. Dickenson approaching me with a huge smile on his face.

"I would like to congratulate you on your win," he began cheerfully, "I'm proud to inform you of your free trip for you and your guests. It will last a week in the middle of November, during Fall Break as Max has informed me. I've also been told, briefly, on these rogue blader organizations. I promise not to interfere and bring attention to these matters unless it's absolutely necessary, such as a life-threatening situation. I will happily fund any of your exertions to bring down this unknown organization. So with that stuff cleared up, do you have any idea where you want to go?"

"Bern, Switzerland," I said immediately. Mr. Dickenson chuckled heartily.

"It seems you've been thinking about this for a while. Very well, Bern, Switzerland it is. How many guests will you be bringing? Don't bother to include the bladers because they will be accompanying you whether you like it or not."

"Four, Tamayo, Eris, Toji, and me. Is that okay, Mr. Dickenson?"

"Absolutely. I'll see you during fall break then. Good-bye kids," he called cheerfully over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Nice guy," Tamayo commented idly, still hanging off my back.

"So Max, didn't I tell you _not_ to tell anyone?" I asked dangerously, turning to glare at an uncomfortable Max.

"I…uh…It just slipped! I'm sorry!" Max yelped before dashing off. Chuckling to myself, I turned back to the others.

_'I guess no harm's done if Mr. Dickenson doesn't leak it to anyone else in the BBA.'_

"I guess the tournament is a success and we can leave without any explanations."

Nodding my head at everyone, I headed back to the locker room, checking to see if I forgot anything back here.

"Hey, what's this?"

I picked up the phoenix plushie I saw earlier in one of the booths. I noticed a note attached to its front.

_Reine Tanaka,_

_Congratulations on winning your tournament._

_Anonymous_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm finally done with the tournament! These two chapters took me quite a while! xD I hope you guys liked them.

Hmm, I wonder who the plushie was from. ;D

I have reached 500 hits! Yay! –does a happy dance– Thanks to those who have reviewed, it means a lot to me. I'm kind of sad at the minimum amount of reviews I'm getting, but I'm glad that people are actually reading this fic!

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**Re-Posted AN: **I finished typing and uploading this fic at 12 at night…er…morning and I never had a chance to proofread and edit it. This is a slightly altered and improved version. Thanks for reading!

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I would like to thank **whyamidoingthis01**, **DaCow Takao**, **Ms. Controversy**, **Sweet-Plum**, **Soldier4Christ**, and last but certainly not least **Crownowa** for leaving awesome reviews. :D I really appreciate your time and effort!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	10. Chance Meeting, Dire Warning

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 10 – Chance Meeting, Dire Warning**

**Reine's POV**

I stared at the plushie confusedly.

_'Who would give me a plushie let alone know that I liked this one?'_

Wandering absently out the door, I hugged it tightly against my side.

"Reine Tanaka," a voiced called. Stiffening slightly, I turned and peered over my shoulder and into the shadows. I saw a black-haired teen step forward, the red streak in his hair swaying slightly.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously, careful to keep my distance from the strange teen.

"My name's Ozuma," he said as he took a step forward. I took one step back as he advanced.

"I need to speak to you about your bitbeast," he began advancing even more. I got ready to flee when heavy breathing alerted me that we weren't alone. I turned around tentatively only to meet a muscular chest. Looking up, I met a pair of green eyes under bushy blonde eyebrows. **(AN: Are Dunga's eyes green?)**

"We don't want you to run away when we're trying to talk to you, do we?" the black-haired teen asked calmly as he continued to advance. Finding that there was no where to run, I reluctantly faced him wanting to get this "conversation" over with.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, crossing my arms over my chest protectively. He grinned.

"I guess you're starting to see things our way," he said lazily before turning serious, "It's about the Ancients. I feel the need to brief you over them and warn you."

"Don't bother, I've already heard from Sai," I replied, relieved that he wasn't going to try anything fishy. He raised his eyebrow at my comment.

"Sai? The one that had the Komodo Dragon bitbeast? I can assure you that the Saint Shields know more about bitbeasts than a random person in a tournament."

"The Saint Shield?" I asked as I tried to remember who they are.

_'They sound so familiar! Dammit! Why can't I remember?'_

"Yes. We belong to an old clan dedicated to bitbeasts," was his calm reply.

_'Oh them! Weren't they the ones who tried to steal the Tyson and the others' bitbeasts?'_

On guard once more, I eyed him wearily.

"I see our reputation proceeds us," he said loftily, noticing my sudden change in attitude, "Don't worry, we're not here for _your_ bitbeast. Loréndoz's, on the other hand, is a completely different story."

"What do you want with Clytem?" I asked as I searched for a way out.

"We're going to seal him away," he replied calmly, holding his hand out for the beyblade, "He's too dangerous to be in the hands of those rogue bladers."

"But he isn't in the hands of rogue bladers," I argued, "I have him. I won't misuse him, if I even use him that is."

_'Even though I hate to admit it, I can't allow them to seal Clytem away. It's not his fault that Loréndoz was bent on being evil.'_

"That's even more dangerous," he said seriously, advancing once more, "Two Ancients in the possession of one human is a lot more dangerous than one bent on wreaking havoc. Combined, the two can do tremendous damage on a global scale including covering all of land with water."

"I understand the risks, but I can't allow you to seal him away. He doesn't deserve this treatment no matter how much damage he did. It was Loréndoz's fault!"

Ozuma faltered slightly. Hoping to sway his decision, I persisted, "I would never use him for evil, if that's what you're wondering about. I won't even use him unless it's a life-threatening situation. Give me a chance with him and give him time to prove himself. Don't think that if he really wanted to, he would've injured me more during the battle?"

Staring intently into my eyes, he finally relented.

"Fine, but I'm holding you responsible for all of his actions. One wrong move and both bitbeasts will be sealed for eternity."

With his final threat, he melted back into the shadows followed by his lackey. Releasing a sigh of relief, I eased my grip on the phoenix plushie.

"Hey Reine! Where are you?" I heard Tamayo's voice float down the hall. Taking a shaky breath, I mustered the strength to call back.

"Over here! I'm next to the locker room."

I heard footsteps running down the hall before Tamayo appeared.

"Geez Reine! What are you doing here in the dark?"

"Long story," I muttered as I followed Tamayo into the lobby.

"There she is!" I heard someone squeal before getting tackled by Yume. I stared desperately at Tamayo while she just smirked evilly before bouncing off to engage Brooklyn in a conversation.

"Can you believe that we actually _know_ the city champion?" Yume yelped excitedly as she shook my hands vigorously.

"Calm down, Yume," Sai said lazily as she leaned against the wall, "It's not as if you didn't meet her before. She's the same old Reine."

Sending a grateful smile in Sai's direction, I turned my attention to a curious Eris. She was leaning forward, peering intently at something in my arms.

"What?"

"Where'd you get that?" she asked, gesturing toward the phoenix plushie I was hugging. Turning it to face her I asked, "You mean this?"

"Yeah, that."

"I found it in the locker room," I replied, shrugging a little, "There was a note attached saying it was for me and congratulating on my win. Other than those two bits of information, I have no clue about who it's from."

"Hmm," Eris mumbled, turning away from me to look out the lobby doors. Following her gaze, I saw Kai.

"What! No way! That jerk wouldn't get me anything! Besides, how would he know I liked this plushie?" I denied vehemently, glaring Eris murderously, flabbergasted that she would suggest that _Kai_ would do something _nice_, and for me nonetheless.

_'Kai and nice doesn't belong in the same sentence unless there's a 'not' in-between,'_ I thought angrily, _'Just thinking about that jerk gets me riled up!'_

"He even commented on how those games are a waste of time and money! How do expect someone as cold as him to do something like this?" I huffed indignantly, "It was probably someone else."

"Who do you think then?" Eris asked with a twinkle in her eyes. I opened my mouth to reply only to find that I can't think of anyone at the moment. Finally, I bit out lamely, "I don't know."

Glowering at Eris' triumphant look, I found myself saying stubbornly, "But I still don't think that it was Kai."

"Think what was Kai?" asked Tala as he joined us followed by an indigo-haired midget, a bulky blonde, and a pale, lavender-haired teen. I snorted, "That he was the anonymous person who gave me this phoenix plushie," before showing him the toy I was cuddling. I couldn't deny it. Whoever got me this plushie must be the most be very observant. I didn't make it obvious that I wanted it so they must either know me very well or stalk me. I shivered thinking of the latter.

Tala only raised an eyebrow at the toy before turning at staring at Eris with a deadpanned expression.

"There is no way in _hell_ that Kai would get that," he said pointing at the cute plushie, "Besides, he thinks the games are a waste of time and money. He wouldn't bother with them no matter how much he likes anyone."

I smirked triumphantly at Eris as Tala said all of this.

"See! That's _exactly_ what I told you. It just _can't_ be Kai!"

Eris smiled knowingly, "Whatever you say, Reine. You can't run from the truth forever."

"You're delusional," I said bluntly before turning away from her to indicate that the conversation was closed.

"Hey Reine," Tamayo called as she wandered over from where she was talking to Brooklyn, who looked immensely better since Loréndoz's defeat.

"Yeah?" I answered, turning to look at her.

"I've been thinking," she said.

"Well that's a first," I muttered under my breath causing her to shoot a glare at me. I smirked cheekily, "That's for ditching me when I needed you."

"Whatever," she muttered with a roll of her eyes, "As I said, I was thinking. Where will Durby stay during our trip to Switzerland?"

"Uh…" was my intelligent answer as I racked my brain for a solution.

"He'll come with us," Kai answered as he sauntered into the lobby and over to us.

"What do you want and what do you mean 'He'll come with us'?" I spat, angry at his intrusion into our conversation. He raised an eyebrow at my reaction.

"What's go you so worked up, Tanaka?" he drawled lazily, folding his arms across his chest.

"You! You're the reason I'm so worked up! You are the a pest and you won't stay out of my personal space not to mention what a cold jerk you are!" I yelled at him, causing him to recoil at my outburst to my grim satisfaction.

_'When did I turn this hateful?'_ I wondered as I felt the negative energy swirling inside me, _'What's it about Kai that rubs me the wrong way? Is it his laid-back, I'm-too-cool-for-you attitude towards everyone?'_

A few heads turned towards us when they heard me shout. I've never blown-up at anyone before.

"Relax Reine," Tamayo tried to soothe me as I glared viciously at Kai. For a second, I thought I saw a flicker of hurt pass through his eyes before they hardened once more.

_'Must've been my imagination,'_ I thought, '_What I said couldn't have hurt Kai, could it? He hates me as much as I hate him, right?'_

With one last glare in his direction, I stalked out the lobby door followed by an anxious Tamayo.

"You okay?" she asked worriedly. Taking a deep breath, I put on a resigned expression and turned to face her.

"Yeah, confronting him just takes a lot of energy out of me. He's such an asshole around me and I don't know why. It frustrates me to no end! He sends so many mixed messages that it's hard to find out what he's actually feeling."

She looked sympathetically at me before lapsing into silence, allowing me to calm down and collect myself.

"Thanks Tama-chan," I whispered fifteen minutes later as we wandered among the stalls.

She smiled kindly at me before bouncing excitedly.

"Come on! Let's go on some of the rides!" she said before snatching one of my hands and dragging me towards the rollercoasters.

* * *

**Mid November – Fall Break**

**Normal POV**

Reine, Tamayo, Eris, and Toji had made their way to the bladers' mansion to spend the night before their trip the next day, making it easier for Mr. Dickenson to provide them with transportation to the airport. Meanwhile, they were gathered in the sitting room, discussing what they would do with the free time before they initiate the plan to bring down the headquarters.

"I'm so excited!" Tyson yelled excitedly, "I can't wait to hit the slopes!"

"Do you even know how to ski?" Eris asked skeptically.

"Of course!" Tyson boasted before Max interrupted, "If you consider rolling down the hill and ending up in a heap 'skiing', then yes, he knows how to ski."

Tamayo broke into a fit of giggles at the look on Tyson's face. It was scrunched up sadly, pouting slightly at Max's betrayal.

"Oh get over it you big baby," Johnny snapped, annoyed at Tyson's antics. Tyson stuck his tongue defiantly at the red-haired Scot.

"Hey guys, do you have everything you need for the trip, including Operation D.T.S.?"

"What's Operation D.T.S. again?" Tyson asked stupidly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Tyson!" Mariah called, exasperated by his lack of brain cells.

"Operation **D**estroy **T**he **S**kullz," Reine repeated patiently.

"Oh yeah," Tyson said as he faintly recalled someone telling him what he has to do, "What was my role again?"

Mariah moaned as she covered her face with her hand, massaging the bridge of her nose lightly.

"If I remember correctly, you have to…" Reine started as she explained to Tyson what he has to do.

"Okay, I can do that," he said as Reine finished explaining. Smirking evilly, she ticked 'Remind Tyson of his role' off her mental checklist.

"Good. Do you have everything you need to fulfill your role?"

Tyson thought for a minute before answering.

"Yeah, I've got everything."

Nodding at his answer, she stood up.

"Well, I'm going to go upstairs and ask Durby if we missed anything. Do you need to ask or need me for anything before I leave?"

"Nah, you can go talk to Durby. We're fine. I know what we need to do and all of us are packed."

"Do you want to join us for a game of Truth and Dare later?" Mariah asked as Reine stood up to leave. Shrugging nonchalantly, Reine said, "Sure, I don't see why not. I'm going to be in the study upstairs with Durby. Call me when you guys start playing."

Turning around and walking away, Reine didn't notice the identical evil smirks plastered on Eris, Mariah, and Tamayo's faces. On her way upstairs, she happened to pass Kai. They gave each other a wide berth as they continued walking, neither looking at the other. They've been avoiding each other since the incident three months ago at the city fair.

Silently opening the study room's door, Reine peeked inside. She could make out Durby's messy orange hair hunched over a mahogany desk as he repeatedly mussed his hair in frustration.

"Everything okay?" she asked quietly as she stepped inside. He turned to give her a wry grin.

"Not really, mate. Those bastards move around a lot. I'm not 100 percent sure but she should be in Australia in a month's time."

"Then that's when we will strike again and get her back for you," Reine said as the gears started turning in her mind, creating a new plan for the next month's strike, "We can leave during Winter Break. We'll have a full month to pull it off instead of just a week, like this one in Bern, Switzerland."

Durby nodded at her statement, relieved that they were able to do something to help his sister while he still able to predict the Skullz's movements.

"Do you mind explaining to me how you're tracking her?" Reine asked as curiosity got the better of her. Durby grinned at her, tapping his nose lightly.

"It's from experience. Those wankers move her every three months before allowing me to talk to her again. She told me, once, over the phone when she overheard them talking about the next move. After doing some research, I found they only had a couple of facilities that are able to hold human hostages in comfortable settings, without arousing suspicion from nearby companies, and those are the ones in Sydney, Budapest, and St. Petersburg. **(AN: Sydney is in Australia, Budapest is in Hungary, and St. Petersburg is in Russia.)** They arouse the least amount of suspicion because they are the largest headquarters, having over a million workers enter daily to work in the office cubicles so if one more person was to walk in once in a while, no one will notice. They also had extra rooms in the back area; I noticed them when I was going through the blueprints of the buildings that Emily gave me. Many of them are big enough to be revamped into a comfortable bedroom," Durby explained as he leaned back into his chair, "The last time she called me, I faintly heard Russian in the background. I've traveled to Moscow, for 'missions', enough times to recognized the language. In the phone call I had received three months before that one, she kept telling me about how pretty the river outside her window was. There is no river next to Sydney. I should know for growing up in a nearby town. If I remember my geography correctly, Danube River flows through the Budapest, separating Hungary's capital into the Buda and Pest."

Looking thoughtfully at Durby, Reine nodded her head in approval.

"You have many valid points. I believe you. We'll head for Australia once Winter Break starts and it's won't be a waste of time if we miss her, we'll just destroy the Sydney headquarters."

An abrupt knocking on the study's door brought the duo's attention to the set of oaken doors. Mathilda had opened the door and stepped inside timidly.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked hesitantly, having caught sight of the pair in deep discussion. Reine smiled kindly as she regarded the younger girl.

"No, you didn't. We were just wrapping up, right Durby?"

The Australian nodded in reply, smiling at the shy girl. Mathilda had recovered nicely from Destruction's attack back in August, only a few scars remain as a reminder of the brutal attack.

"Did Mariah, Eris, and Tamayo send you?" Reine asked as she stood up, working the stiffness out of her joints. Mathilda nodded in reply.

"Can you tell them I'll be down in a minute?"

"Sure Reine," Mathilda said before smiling and closing the door softly after herself.

"She's a sweet girl," Durby said quietly, turning to face a distracted Reine, "Don't worry too much about the attack in Sydney. Just focus on this week's mission and we'll consider our options for the next one when we come to it."

Reine nodded in agreement before her eyes lit up as an idea formed itself in her mind.

"Hey Durby, I've been thinking, you've been cooped up in this study too long. Come down stairs with me and loosen up a bit."

Durby looked skeptically at her as he considered the prospect reluctantly.

"I don't know, Reine," he started only to get interrupted by Reine's glare, "Fine. I'll come downstairs with you."

Smirking slightly, Reine led him down the stairs and into the sitting room where everyone was gathered.

"Reine!" Tamayo shouted as she jumped up from her seat.

"Hey," she answered casually, "I brought Durby. I hope you guys don't mind."

Plopping herself onto a couch, she leaned back into the soft material blissfully. Falling asleep in a hard chair for the three previous nights wasn't easy on her back.

"Okay people, these are the rules," Mariah started, getting everyone's attention in the room. Catching sight of Kai walking out of the kitchen, she called to him.

"Kai! Come here!"

Pausing slightly in the doorway, Kai walked inside. He spotted various members of different teams seated in the room.

"What is it?" he asked coldly as he glared at Reine, who had stiffened when he entered the room.

"Want to play Truth and Dare with us?" she asked excitedly. Before he could protest, she hissed, "You can get Tyson that way."

Mulling over his choices, he finally relented and leaned against the far-left wall of the room.

"Okay, now that everyone's here, we should set up some rules. You can only call 'Truth' three times and in case anyone tried to back out of a dare, we should make them do something horrible," Mariah started enthusiastically, "Any ideas?"

Max's hand shot into the air eagerly.

"They have to cross-dress and go out with a member of the same sex!"

Many winced at his proposition.

"Fair enough. Everyone gather in a circle so we can start. Here's the deal, you can use a spinning bottle to choose the next person if you don't anyone particular in mind."

Pulling out an empty water bottle, Mariah placed it in the middle of the circle.

"Let's spin the bottle to see who goes first," Mariah said as she leaned forward and spun the bottle. It spun quickly before stopping and pointing at a blonde American.

"Alright!" he shouted excitedly, "Max! Truth or dare?"

The usually hyper boy pondered for a minute before deciding to play it safe for now.

"Truth! Let's see what you can do, Michael," he taunted cheekily as he grinned at the disappointed jock.

"Fine. Is it true that you used to wet your bed until you were ten?"

Max blushed bright red as he stuttered, "H-how did y-you k-know th-that?"

"Judy," he said offhandedly as he smirked at the embarrassed blonde, "Your turn, Maxy boy."

Looking at the crowded room, Max's eyes landed on an unaware Tala.

"Yo! Tala! Truth or dare?" he called at the red-haired Russian.

"Dare," he automatically replied. He wouldn't say 'truth' unless he absolutely had to. He's saving them for someone that would probably make him do something embarrassing. Max seemed harmless enough, being a hyper blonde and all.

"I was hoping you would say that," Max said slyly. Tala had a distinct feeling that he had made a dire mistake: **He had underestimated the cruelty of the hyper blonde.**

"I dare you to dance to a song of your choice while singing it."

Tala paled. He hadn't expected this at all.

"There's a problem with that, Max," Kai's voice drifted over from his corner of the circle, "Tala doesn't listen to music. He wouldn't know the lyrics let alone sing and dance to the actual song."

Max scratched the back of his head as Tala pinked slightly at the snickering he heard from around the circle.

"Well, that's a problem. I guess I'll just have to give you another dare."

Thinking for a second, he came up with a brilliant idea.  
"I dare you to sit next to Tyson on the plane as well as room with him during our trip to Switzerland giving whoever had to sit next to him your spot on the plane and your room to the person who had to bunk with him."

Tala visibly winced. Tyson was infamous for his loud snoring and his annoying chatter. There's minimal survival rate for this dare. This is _Tyson_ we're talking about.

"Fine," he finally muttered, not wanting to humiliate himself by cross-dressing and going out with a **(shudders)** guy. Turning his gaze to sweep over the group of teens to find his next victim, his eyes landed on a familiar redhead. Smirking slightly, he called, "Wench, truth or dare?"

Tamayo startled out of her daydream.

"Wha?"

Tala looked annoyed as he repeated his question, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare me, sucker!" Tamayo said brashly, a gleam of challenge in her eyes.

"Fine, you must go out on a date with me when we're in Switzerland. I decide the time and place and you can't back out."

Tamayo spluttered indignantly at his dare.

"WHAT!" she managed to get before whining, "That's not fair!"

"You called dare, Tama-chan," Eris said with a mischievous smirk. Tamayo slumped in her seat as she sulked. After a second's pause, she turned and looked at Eris with a maniacal expression.

"Eri-chan, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Eris answered as she looked expectantly at the plotting redhead.

"I dare you to kiss Toji," Tamayo said innocently as Toji blushed tomato red.

"Fine," was her calm as she scooted over and pecked him on the cheek causing him to redden even more.

"My turn, eh? Hmm…Kai, truth or dare?" Eris asked with an unfathomable glint in her eyes.

"Truth," Kai grunted as he stared at Eris suspiciously. A smirk crawled across her face as her expression darkened menacingly.

"Is it true that you were the anonymous person that gave Reine that phoenix plushie the day of the tournament three months ago? Remember, you can't lie or you'll have to cross-dress and go out with a guy."

Everyone turned to face Kai with renewed interest, harboring predatory expressions as they waited for the cold teen to confess.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I think I'll just stop there. xD It's one of my shorter chapters but I hope you guys wouldn't mind too much. You can kill me later after I finish updating the next chapter. Sorry for not updating yesterday. I was finishing Chapter 4 of "**A Fork in the Road**".

As you can see, this chapter if pretty much a filler. The next chapter will probably be more interesting with the dares and all. Poor Tala, stuck with Tyson for an entire week. I wonder if he'll survive?

I'm so happy that I hit the 30 reviews mark! –hugs all my readers– I have to thank my devoted readers for this accomplishment!

**Sweet-Plum – The relationship isn't set in stone yet. ;-D –wink wink– you didn't see anything.  
Okay, I'm going to try to answer your questions without giving too much away. That would just spoil the story for you, ne?  
1) I thought about putting Tala in instead of Garland but I figured that the dude can do with some limelight. I mean, getting defeated by Loréndoz, who wouldn't want that?  
2) That you will have to find out as you keep reading. The main reason is that they know about the Skullz.  
3) That you will also find out as I keep updating. Truth to be told, I'm not sure yet. I haven't thought that far yet. Yes and no, you'll have to keep reading to find out.  
Sorry for the filler chapter but it's an important one. x3 **

**Ms. Controversy – Here's your update! Sorry if it's just a filler. Dx I'm looking forward to your next update! So as you put it, "UPDATE BIATCH!" :D**

**whyamidoingthis01 – You will see more of Aliahe later on, as in flashbacks not zombie coming back too life. :D**

I would like to thank **Sweet-Plum**, **Ms. Controversy**, **soldier4Christ**, **whyamidoingthis01**, **ReiKai101**, **DaCow Takao**, **Kris24**, and last but not least **Alix13** for the awesome reviews!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	11. A Kiss is a Kiss

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 11 – A Kiss is a Kiss – (Proofread and Edited – Please read the Re-Posted Author's Note beneath the original one. Thanks!) **

**Reine's POV**

_'I should've known Eris was going to pull something like this,'_ I fumed, _'Why is she so bent on finding out? Kai would only deny it since he wouldn't have done something like that.'_

"…fine. I did give her the plushie. Happy?" Kai gritted out as he pinked slightly under the pressure of the bladers' stares. I felt my jaw unhinge at his unexpected answer. Unexpected was an understatement. I couldn't find a strong enough word to express how surprising his answer was. I was **_flabbergasted_**.

_'It was him? Eris was right! Oh god, why does this have to happen to me?'_

I noticed Eris turn to regard me with a smug smile.

"Excuse me," I said hoarsely before hurrying out the room. I guess I wasn't the only one who's in shock seeing that everyone's faces, with the exception of Eris, Tamayo, and Mariah, held some degree of astonishment. It was almost comical how big Tala's eyes were, they seemed to bulge out of his head. Hurrying past a confused Robert walking down the stairs, I locked myself in my temporary room.

_'Is he lying? Is this one of his hoaxes to rile me up?'_

**/He's telling the truth, little one/** Esilé said gently, humming softly as she tried to placate me.

_'I guess I should apologize for my behavior back in August. I suppose he was trying to be nice when he got me Ildri and suggested that Durby accompany us to Bern.'_** (AN: Ildri is heer phoenix plushie.)**

**/An apology sounds as a good course of action./**

I stared blankly at the pale, creamy ceiling of my room, contemplating how I should approach him and apologize. As time passed by, I felt myself being gently lulled to a dreamless slumber by Esilé's soft humming.

A loud blaring woke me from my sleep. Turning to look blearily at the source of the hideous noise, it took me a few seconds to absorb what I was seeing. Yelping in surprise, I dashed out of my bed before digging through my suitcase and pulling out a random pair of pants and shirt, changing quickly out of the previous day's clothes. I guess I was really tired to fall asleep before changing. Thank god I had brushed my teeth right after dinner or I would have stinky morning breath.

Shoving my clothes into my suitcase, I quickly closed the lid and locked it. Digging through my carry-on duffel bag, I grabbed my brush and toothbrush before hurrying into my personal bathroom. Running the brush hastily through my hair, I brushed my teeth before proceeding to gurgle and rinsing my mouth thoroughly with Listerine. Once satisfied with the state of my hygiene, I washed and dried my toothbrush before putting it back into my ziplock bag along with my tube of toothpaste and plastic bottle of mouthwash. Stuffing both my brush and ziplock bag back into my carry-on duffel bag, I slung it carelessly over my shoulder before lugging my suitcase out the door and down the stairs to the reception hall. Leaving it near the door, I rushed into kitchen only to bump into Oliver.

"Oops! Sorry Oliver, my bad," I said sheepishly as I pulled him up, "I was hurrying to get breakfast started."

"Ça va **(1)**," Oliver replied as he dusted himself off, "Don't worry about breakfast, I already made it."

I sighed in relief.

"Thank you Oliver, I don't know what I would've done without your thoughtfulness. I woke up late. Imagine waking up and seeing it's already 4:30 and having to cook for approximately 50 people, not mentioning Tyson and his tremendous appetite, before leaving for the airport to catch our plane at 7."

Oliver laughed at my panicked expression.

"Relax! I knew that we would have to feed about 50 people, including you, Eris, Tamayo, and Toji of course. Why don't you and wake everyone else up? Tyson might take a while."

Nodding, I ran back upstairs. As I walked by the Bladebreaker's rooms, I heard two voices coming from Max's room. Curiosity getting the better of me, I leaned in and placed my ear against the cold, oak doors.

"…I can't wait to see them again! I'm so happy Mr. Dickenson got them to join us in Switzerland."

"Yeah. Chief and Hilary will be a great asset to Operation D.T.S., but we better ask Reine before filling them in."

Suddenly, the door flew open causing me to fall into the room in a heap.

"Ow," I moaned as I rubbed my forehead where it hit the ground.

"Reine?" I heard someone ask questioningly. Laughing nervously, I looked up to see Max and Ray, fully dressed and ready to go.

"Uh…hi? Well, you must be wondering what I'm doing here, right? I'm here to wait everyone up so you guys can go eat breakfast," I blabbered as I tried to control my panic from rising.

_'Shit! I got caught eavesdropping! They must think lowly of me now!'_

"Geez! Calm down," Max said, raising his hands to gesture for me to stop and take a deep breath. Taking in a deep breath, I got up and dusted myself off.

"So you guys coming down for breakfast, or what? Need help with luggage?" I asked as I finished.

"Yeah, we'll be down in a second," Ray replied as he walked across the hall into his room.

"Say Reine, did you hear anything just now?" Max asked curiously as he walked into his closet of his light green room only to appear a few seconds later with a black suitcase and a green duffel bag.

"Um…yeah. Something about this 'Chief' and 'Hilary' being a good asset to Operation D.T.S.," I replied sheepishly, admitting that I had been eavesdropping.

"That means we don't have to ask you later," Max replied cheerfully as he followed me down the hall towards Tyson and Daichi's rooms, "So what do you think about telling them?"

I paused for a second before answering, "I have to meet them first. I want to judge for myself. We don't want more people getting involved if it can be helped. It'll only put them straight into the path of danger."

Max nodded understandingly before we lapsed into silence. It was broken shortly by a ground-shattering snore.

"What was that?" I asked, startled out of my wits.

"_That_ was Tyson," Max answered. I started to feel bad for Tala.

"You know, that dare last night was pure evil," I said pointedly. Max only shrugged.

"It's not my fault he chose dare instead of truth. I dared to him to sing and dance first but seeing he couldn't, well he got landed with this one."

Remembering last night, I ventured to ask Max, "What happened after I left the room?"

Max just shrugged, "Nothing really, everyone left to return to their respective rooms. Apparently the only reason Mariah, Tamayo, and Eris wanted to play Truth and Dare was for Kai to confess either one of two things."

"Which were?"

"Whether he was the one to give you your phoenix plushie or if he liked you."

I cocked an eyebrow at his statement.

"Why am I not surprised?" I stated dryly just as we stopped in front of Tyson's room.

"Well, good luck with waking Tyson. He can sleep through _anything_. I'm going to go downstairs and eat breakfast. See ya!"

Leaving me to face the dead-to-the-world Tyson alone, Max raced down the hall and down the stairs.

"Traitor," I muttered as I knocked on the door. Hearing no response besides another ground-shattering snore, I resorted to try the handle. After jiggling it for a bit, it was obvious that the door was locked. Left with no other option, I started banging on the door vociferously, shouting "GET YOUR LAZY ARSE OUT OF BED TYSON!" over and over again.

"Where's the fire?" Daichi asked sleepily as he ventured out his room, yawning widely.

"What's the deal?" an equally tired Eddy asked as he popped his head out of his room a few rooms down.

"Apparently Tyson isn't waking up," Kai replied as he walked out of his room fully dressed, his hair slightly damp from his morning shower. He had a black duffel bag slung carelessly across his shoulder while he lugged a small, dark maroon suitcase.

More heads popped out as exhausted teens heard my uproar. With one last frustrated cry, I kicked the door, _hard_.

"Shit!" I yelled as I hopped on one foot, nursing my throbbing toes. Kai shook his head at my antics before disappearing downstairs.

"You have to do better than that to wake up Tyson," Emily said as she walked by, fully geared.

"You don't say," I muttered sarcastically as I glared heatedly at the accursed door that's preventing me from getting to Tyson, "I'm seriously thinking of bringing a machete and chopping you down."

"Getting desperate now, aren't we, to start talking to inanimate objects as if they're alive?" I heard Kai taunt.

"What're you doing back? Aren't suppose to be downstairs eating breakfast along with everyone else?" I said angrily as I continued to glare holes into the sturdy, oak doors. I've got to hand it to whoever made these doors, they are extremely well made.

"It looked like you needed help," he replied as he shrugged, "If you don't want my help, I'll just leave and, as you put it, 'be downstairs eating breakfast along with everyone else'."

I openly fumed at him as he smirked at me.

"Fine," I bit out, "Let's see what you can do."

Backing away from Kai, I saw him saunter up to the room, jiggling the handle expertly.

"It's locked," I said sourly, "I already tried it. Why do you think I was banging on the doors?"

"Bobby pin," Kai said simply as he turned back to look at me expectantly.

"What? Do you expect me to wear bobby pins?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow at the tone of his voice.

"I take it you don't?" he asked impatiently.

"No, I'm just with holding them from you for my own benefit," I answered sarcastically, "Of course I don't wear bobby pins. Eris, on the other hand, does. Go ask her for some if you want them so badly."

He turned and glared at me.

"If you want to wake up Tyson then you will go and get me bobby pins."

Shrugging slightly, I stared at the door contemplatively. Finally I said, "If Tyson can't wake himself up, then we will leave him behind. We can substitute someone to do his job. It isn't hard, that's why Tyson was given the job."

"If you feel that way," Kai said languidly as he stepped back from the door. Realizing that we were alone, I hesitated before I called to him.

_'I might as well get the apology out of the way. We need to work together on Operation D.T.S. to make it successful.'_

"Kai, wait."

He turned back and looked at me expectantly.

"I would like to…apologize for my behavior back in August. What I said to you was uncalled for. Please forgive me."

Bowing slightly at the end of my apology, I turned to walk past him, not expecting him to reply. Suddenly his hand whipped out and grabbed my wrist stopping me in my tracks.

"I guess I was being 'cold jerk', as you put it," he replied quietly before turning his smoldering crimson gaze onto me. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I drowned in his eyes. Snapping out of my trance, I nodded slightly before trying to untangle my wrist from his grasp. When he didn't release his hold on me, as I continued to struggle, I grew frustrated. Getting impatient, I turned to snap at him for being in my personal space again only to be stopped by his lips brushing lightly against mine. He stared at me with unfathomable eyes before striding away quickly, his face shadowed by his slate-colored bangs. Reaching up to touch my lips, I finally registered what happened. I felt myself growing warm with embarrassment and…happiness? A loud click startled me as I heard Tyson's sleepy voice drift out, "I smell food…"

I didn't notice someone slip back into the shadows of the hall, observing me with a knowing smirk when I turned to snap at Tyson to hurry up and get dressed.

"…and everyone's already eating the breakfast Oliver prepared! Now hurry up and get your arse in gear! I expect you to be downstairs within ten minutes! It's now 5:30! The bus will be here in 15 minutes to take us to the airport!"

With one final huff, I stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen to eat my breakfast, careful to avoid Kai's eyes.

**(AN: It's getting interesting, no? xD)

* * *

**

**Normal POV**

The group filed out of the bus as they arrived at the Bakuten airport at exactly 6:15, giving them enough time to go through luggage check, baggage deposit, and all that good stuff. Tala was forced to swap his ticket with Tyson's unfortunate seat partner, which turned out to be Reine. She tried to reassure him that it was okay, but he wouldn't have it. He insisted that he had to do the dare or he will be forced to cross-dress and go out with a guy. Finally agreeing to swap tickets with him, Reine found that her new seat number was J34. Suddenly the P.A. blared to life with an ear-grating shriek.

_"Will the passengers boarding plane JC304 please approach gate 34C now? Repeat, will the passengers boarding plane JC304 please approach gate 34C now? Thank you._"

With a click, it was silent once more.

"Hey guys, I think that's our plane," Max called to the 49 other teens as he studied his ticket. They quickly made their way to the terminal, each flashing a ticket for the flight attendant to examine. The flight attendant sent each teen a smile and said, "Hope you have a nice flight," before allowing them to board the plane. Their tickets showed that they were traveling in economy class rather than business class, like the bladers were accustomed to. Stepping onto the plane, Reine made her way down the aisle, counting the numbers overhead as she went by.

"H23…I23…J23. Oh! Here's my row."

Making her way to the row, she placed her carry-on duffel bag into the overhead compartment before settling down in her window seat. Staring out the window, she noted sourly that the wing of the plane obstructed the view. Huffing in annoyance, she pulled out her iPod mini and a set of earphones from her left jacket pocket before proceeding to listen to her entire playlist. She vaguely noticed her seatmate when he placed his luggage, beside her bag, in the overhead compartment and sit down, with a small grunt, in the seat beside her. An hour later, her curiosity got the better of her as she turned to see who her seatmate was only to freeze upon seeing Kai sitting calming beside her, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back into his seat with his eyes closed.

"K-kai?" she spluttered as she tried to figure out what he was doing there. He opened one eye and grunted at her before closing it again.

"What?"

"Why are you sitting there?" she asked stupidly, still not comprehending the entire situation.

Opening both his eyes lazily, he glared pointedly at her.

"This is my seat, Tanaka," he replied.

She only stared numbly at him.

"God just fucked me over," was all she managed to say before turning to stare out the window, trying to ignore Kai's overbearing presence as he shifted beside her. The ride passed in silence as Reine contemplated what she could do throughout the fifteen-hour flight to Paris, where they will switch planes.

Three hours into the flight, Reine grew bored. Squirming noisily in her seat, she craned her neck to see who was sitting near her. Sitting in the pair of seats in front of her was the bulky blonde and the pale, lavender-haired teen that had accompanied Tala to the Bakuten Citywide Tournament. She learned later that their names were Bryan and Spencer and talking to them was like talking to a brick wall. Sitting behind Kai was Mariah, who was dead asleep, and Lee, who was sitting quietly beside her, staring intently out the window, careful to remain quiet so he doesn't wake her.

Staring across the aisle, she could make out Enrique's prone form as he snored quietly. Huffing silently, she settled down in her seat before turning off her iPod and stuffing it back into her pocket. She had already listened to every song already and it was starting to get on her nerves. Sighing deeply, she was lulled to a state between awareness and sleepiness as the plane rocked gently in the air. A few minutes later, her head fell softly against Kai's shoulder as she fell into a deep slumber, exhausted by the morning's events. Kai gazed at her quietly as he took in her peaceful expression. She smiled serenely in her sleep, unlike the usual sarcastic smirk or mischievously grin she often wore in her state of consciousness. Reaching out and brushing a strand of stray hair from her face, he smiled softly before falling asleep too, his head resting on top of hers.

The flight attendance's voice woke Kai from his light nap when she asked Lee and Mariah what they wanted for lunch. He immediately righted himself as Reine woke up, still a bit groggy from her sleep.

"Sir, what would you like for lunch? We have chicken rice and beef noodles."

Choosing chicken rice, she handed him a sealed tray as she moved on and asked Reine what she wanted.

"Beef Noodles sounds good," she yawned as she stretched. The flight attendant handed her another sealed tray before moving on to Brian and Spencer.

"Had a good sleep?" Mariah asked as she leaned forward, trying to converse with Reine through the gap between the seats.

"It was okay," she replied as she unwrapped her tray. Taking out a pair of chopsticks, she twirled the noodles expertly around it before putting it into her mouth. Wincing a little, she began to chew slowly before swallowing the food. With a disgruntled voice she said, "This food tastes like plastic. It's all leathery."

Mariah laughed.

"What'd you expect? It's airplane food. In the business class, it's a bit better."

Reine nodded as she took another bite of her noodles before blanching again.

"Remind me to bring food the next time I ride a plane," she said as she viewed her food with disgust. Kai smirked at her reaction as he placed a forkful of rice in his mouth.

"How can you eat the stuff?" Reine asked as she looked at him strangely. Kai shrugged before saying, "I've tasted worse," and swallowing another forkful of rice. Reine wrinkled her nose slightly before turning back to her "meal" and eating some more. After five more bites, she decided she had enough of the bland food as she shoved her tray away, refusing to touch the food again. Shortly after a flight attendant passed by holding a plastic garbage bag for people to throw away their trash.

"I'm never eating airplane food again," Reine stated as soon as the flight attendant was out of earshot. Mariah giggled at her statement.

"So what do you want to do? We still have ten hours to kill."

"We can watch a movie," Mariah suggested as she showed Reine her DVD player.

"Ooh! What movies?" Reine asked excitedly.

"Let's see, War of the Worlds, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, all the Harry Potter ones, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and what the hell! Barney?"

"Barney?" Reine asked as she looked over incredulously at Mariah, "Why the hell do you have Barney?"

"Must be my baby cousin's," Mariah said as she shoved it back into her DVD bag, "So what movie will it be?"

"Put on Pirates of the Caribbean," Reine called over her shoulder before turning to look at Kai. Noticing her gaze on him, Kai turned and asked, "What?"

"Will you switch seats with Mariah, please?" she begged as she looked at him pleadingly. Kai grunted as he unbuckled himself and stood up, giving Mariah room to slip into his seat, before sitting down next to Lee. Nodding in greeting, the boys lapsed into silence as the girls started to watch the movie.

"Orlando Bloom is so hot!" Reine whispered, avidly watching as Will Turner started fighting the pirates. Kai cocked an eyebrow at her comment while Lee stared at him with an amused expression.

"Johnny Depp looks really weird, don't you think?" Mariah asked, watching as Jack Sparrow wobbled around the beach drunkenly, trying to get Elizabeth to drink some rum with him.

"Yeah. He looks weird in all his movies. Remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? He looked just plain creepy!"

Nodding in agreement, Mariah turned her attention back to the movie.

"You know, Kai, you've got it bad," Lee said teasingly.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked gruffly, staring intently at Lee.

"You got jealous when she said she thinks a movie star is hot," Lee pointed out causing Kai to glare at him.

"I don't get jealous," he replied coldly causing Lee to squirm in his seat uncomfortably.

"Whatever you say, Kai," Michael drawled from behind Lee, "From what I can tell, with the plushie and all, you have a thing for her."

"Do me a favor, Parker, and shut up," Kai replied as Michael smirked at his back.

"You're in denial, dude," was the last thing he said before turning back and discussing how baseball was better than basketball with Eddie. The last ten hours passed excruciatingly slow. The girls had finished the movie and were currently gossiping quietly. When dinner came around, Reine blatantly refused to touch her food. After Mariah finished eating, she turned to stare intensely at Reine.

"How do you feel about Kai?" Mariah asked quietly, scrutinizing Reine's face carefully. Reine reddened remembering their kiss before. Mariah's eyes twinkled as she caught the blush on her face.

"Something happened, didn't it?" she whispered excitedly, eager to hear all the juicy details.

"N-no!" Reine stammered, trying to get her quickening pulse under control.

"You're lying!" Mariah hissed, poking her in the arm, "Tell me what happened!"

"Nothing happened!" Reine hissed back, managing to keep her voice from wavering.

"What's up guys?" Eris asked as she stood in the aisle beside an intimidating Mariah.

"She won't tell me what happened between her and Kai," Mariah pouted as she glanced at Eris before to turn and stare menacingly at Reine.

"Kai! Lee! Move," Eris commanded as she stood towering over the two boys, "We need serious girl talk and I don't think you guys would want to listen."

Seeing that Kai was about to protest, she quickly added, "Not that we'll let you listen anyway. Do we have to use force or will you move when we ask you nicely?"

Lee saw the glare his sister threw his way before getting up hastily and stepping over Kai's knees.

"Well, I'm going to go talk to Garland. I'll see you guys later," he said quickly before dashing across the plane to where Garland was sitting, occupying Eris' seat.

"Kai?" Eris drawled boredly, sending him a piercing glare. Kai glared at her as he stood up reluctantly and headed over to where Tala was sitting tensely beside Tyson, deciding to keep his friend company. He settled himself into Tamayo's vacated seat as she left to join the gathering of girls. Breathing a sigh of relief, Eris plopped into Lee's seat while Tamayo sat down in Kai's.

"Now spill," Mariah said as she prodded Reine, sending her a meaningfully glance.

"Why don't you tell us about what's going on between you and Ray," she retorted as Mariah blushed furiously, "Don't think that we didn't notice you two getting close and lovey-dovey."

"That's beside the point," Eris interrupted, "We're here to hear about _your_ love life."

"Don't you mean _lack_ of love life? I don't _have_ a love life," Reine replied tersely.

"Oh don't bullshit us!" Tamayo snapped, "Don't tell me that he got you that phoenix plushie for no reason."

Reine blushed as she brought up the plushie.

"Seems like we found a weak spot," Tamayo crowed triumphantly as she started to barrage the unfortunate girl with questions regarding the toy.

"Speaking of it, where is it now?"

Reine shifted uncomfortably.

"Ildri is in my carry-on duffel bag in the overhead compartment."

"Ildri?" they asked questioningly.

"It's the name of my plushie," Reine explained, "It means Fire and Peace. It's a Scandinavian name. I guess it's appropriate since a phoenix represents fire and Kai probably gave it to me as a peace offering."

The girls 'oh'ed before lapsing into silence. Finally Eris spoke up.

"From what I can tell, you like him back."

"What?" Reine asked as she stared incredulously at her twin.

"You keep his gift instead of burning it, like most girls would have done if someone they hate gave them something, not to mention to you named it after his action."

Reine looked startled as Eris pointed that out.

"B-but…I-I…y-you…" was her comeback as she drifted off lamely.

"Did I mention that you didn't slap him when he kissed you this morning?" Eris said offhandedly. Mariah and Tamayo gasped before turning and glaring at Reine.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tamayo asked threatening as her expression darkened.

"It wasn't really a kiss," Reine said, desperately trying to find a way out, "I didn't even realize what was happening!"

"A kiss is a kiss," Mariah answered stubbornly as she drilled holes into Reine's head with her glare.

"How did you know?" Reine asked Eris suspiciously as she backtracked their conversation, checking to see if she mentioned it. Finding that she didn't, she looked expectantly at her.

"I saw you," was her simple reply as she stared smugly at the red Reine.

"You saw that?" she asked faintly as she stared at Eris with wide-eyes. Suddenly the flight attendant's voice was heard overhead, announcing their arrival in the City of Lights.

"_Please return to your respective seats and buckle up as we land. Thank you for traveling with Japanese Airlines."_

"We're not finished," Tamayo warned as she headed back to her seat. Eris sent one last smirk in her direction before returning to her seat beside Garland. Reine stared at her retreating back, mortified, barely noticing that Kai had returned.

"You've got some explaining to do," Mariah hissed through the gape in the seats causing Lee to shift uncomfortably. Kai raised an eyebrow at her questioningly as she glared at him.

"Whatever," Reine managed to mutter before turning and staring out the window, once again cursing her bad luck.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

'_I'm in deep shit now. How can Eris have seen that? God I'm stupid!'_

Banging my head against the window of the bus, I admired Paris' lights with blearily eyes. The bus stopped with a screech as we piled out and entered the terminal where we will catch a local plane from Paris to Bern. Remembering how horrible the plane food was, I rushed to a vending machine before popping in a couple of Euros and buying a bag of baked chips.

Going through the usual baggage routine, I found myself on a plane once more, except I had decent food this time. Popping open the bag of chips, I devoured them hungrily. Max, my new seatmate, looked on amused.

'_Thank god it's not Kai!'_

Speaking of the devil, he's sitting beside Ming-Ming, looking rather annoyed by her incessant chatter. Grinning to myself, I turned towards Max and started to ask him various questions about America. Looking around as he explained, I noticed none of the girls seated near me. I sighed in relief as I turned my attention back to Max. I know my relief is short-lived, but who says I can't enjoy myself before they return to interrogate me?

"…I guess it's the atmosphere. In Japan it's a bit less hectic than the usual New York traffic…" I listened to Max say but it started to go in one ear and out the other as I felt jet leg starting to claw at my consciousness.

'_I'll only close my eyes for a few minutes,'_ I thought as I drifted off.

It felt like it was only five minutes later when Max shook me awake, saying that we've arrived. Stretching my cramped muscles, I winced as my spine popped a couple of times. Standing up, I grabbed my duffel bag from the overhead compartment and followed everyone off the plane.

"Oh Reine…"

_'Oh shit! I forgot about them!'_

Turning around slowly, I laughed nervously at the expression Mariah and Tamayo were sporting. They, each, grabbed one of my arms and started to drag me away from the rest of the group.

"We have some things to discuss."

_'Gah! Someone save me!'_

"What are you guys doing?" Miguel asked curiously as he caught sight of us.

"Nothing," Mariah and Tamayo replied innocently as I shook my head furiously.

_'No! Don't listen to them! Help me!'_

"Okay, if you say so," he said skeptically as he took one last look in my direction before turning back and talking with Claude.

_'No…I'm doomed.'_

Suddenly, I heard a voice call out.

"Hey wench!"

Tamayo noticeably tensed as she sighed exasperatedly.

"What?" she asked as she turned around and looked at Tala irritatedly.

"Remember your dare last night? I'll pick you up tomorrow and you'll have to spend the entire afternoon and evening with me," he replied with a smirk as she paled, "I'll see you at 3 sharp."

* * *

**(1)** ça va – It's French for "It's okay".

* * *

**List of Teams and members:**

**Barthez Battalion** – Mathilda, Miguel, Claude, Aaron  
**Blitzkrieg Boys** – Tala, Bryan, Spencer, Ian  
**Bladebreakers** – Kai, Daichi, Tyson, Max, Ray (Soon to add Hilary and Kenny).  
**PPB All Starz** – Steve, Rick, Michael, Emily, Eddy  
**Justice 5** – Ming-Ming, Mystel, Garland, Crusher, Brooklyn  
**Team Zeo** – Zeo, Gordo  
**King and Queen** – King, Queen  
**Majestics** – Enrique, Oliver, Robert, Johnny  
**Saint Shields** – Ozuma, Joseph, Mariam, Dunga  
**White Tiger X** – Lee, Mariah, Kevin, Gary  
**Team Psykick** – Kane, Salima, Goki, Jim  
**F-Dynasty** – Raul, Julia

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I've lost some of my writing inspiration. I feel like my writing is starting to sound forced. :-( I might not update as frequently until I get back into the groove. Sorry for the crappy chapter. (It seems that way to me).

I guess there was some Kai/Reine fluff in these two previous chapters for you fluff lovers out there. xD In the next chapter, Kenny and Hilary make their appearance! What will happen on Tamayo and Tala's date? –hint hint–

* * *

**Re-Posted AN: I would like to thank xAvenirYuinax for giving me the correct translation for "It's fine". :D I really appreciate your help!

* * *

**

Thanks to **fruit salad2** for the review!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	12. What is this Feeling?

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 12 – What is this Feeling?**

**Quick AN: **Sorry to interrupt before you start the chapter, but it would be easier for you to understand the chapter if you read this. :-) The point-of-view doesn't change after each flashback and the flashback is always in the current point-of-view. Have a great read!

**Reine's POV**

'_Now you know how I feel!'_ I crowed silently as Tamayo struggled, in vain I might add, against Eris and Mariah as they tried to fix her up for her little "date" with a certain red-haired Russian.

"Let go of me! I don't need your help getting ready!" Tamayo shouted stubbornly as she tried to hit away Eris' hand.

"Quit fidgeting!" Mariah snapped as she carefully placed mascara onto Tamayo's lashes.

"But I don't need all this stuff," Tamayo whined as she finally stopped struggling, slumping down in her seat.

"I don't see why I have to dress up for _him,_" she added the last part under her breath. Eris and Mariah pretended not to hear her.

"You need this stuff to look nice for your date. You don't want to disappoint him, do you?" Eris asked as she brushed Tamayo's hair back and started to pin it up in a French twist with an intricately carved, dark brown chopstick. Mariah finished glossing Tamayo's lips with cherry-flavored lip-gloss just as Eris put the finishing touches in her hair. Standing back and viewing their handy work, Mariah and Eris high-fived each other. I pulled Tamayo onto her feet as I led her to the full-length mirror.

"Oh," was all she could say as she saw herself. The change was remarkable, if I must say so myself. In place of her usual style, her wavy, red hair was twisted up expertly on the back of her head while a few stray bangs fell around her face, framing it prettily and bringing out the green in her eyes. The make-up Mariah applied to her face made her shine with an ethereal quality, bringing out her high cheekbones. Surveying my own handiwork, I must say I did a good job picking out her clothes. They're not as casual are her regular outfits but not too formal for an outing. She was wearing a white blouse with a pair of nice, black slacks. Taking Switzerland's cold climate into consideration, I gave her a black, silk jacket, to wear. Looking over her outfit one last time, I noted that her clothes were simple and comfortable, yet stylish and sexy.

_'Just like Tamayo,'_ I thought as I compared her looks to her personality.

"I don't know what to say," Tamayo trailed off. Her eyes were full of unshed tears.

"Don't you dare cry," Mariah warned, "I didn't waste my time applying your mascara for nothing."

Tamayo sniffed a little as she stared at herself in the mirror once more.

"You are the best friends any girl can have," she said tearfully as she turned to regard us. I couldn't help but smile at my petite friend.

"We are happy to help you," Eris replied, satisfied with her work.

"You just wanted to play dress-up," I muttered under my breath as Eris glared at me.

"He's not worth your trouble," Tamayo said as she walked back towards us, her black, leather 2-inch heal shoes clicking on the wooden floor of our ski lodge, "This is just a dare. It's not like a real date anyway."

Mariah 'tsk'ed at her.

"Don't say that! He wouldn't have made you do the dare if he didn't want a date in the first place."

"He's just doing this to get on my nerves. This is probably caused by a bet we made a while back. It was the day Durby attacked us; he thought I was Tala's girlfriend," Tamayo said ruefully as she remembered the incident.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

"_How dare you say that I'm that asshole's girlfriend! I'll castrate you with my bare hands!"_

"_You should be happy to be labeled as such. You wouldn't be able to get a boyfriend anyway," Tala snapped back, wondering why he's so worked up over something like that._

"_Shut up, Valcov. I sure as hell can get a boyfriend, one that will be much better than you!"_

"_Is that a challenge?"_

"_Yeah! Got a problem with that?"_

"_Hell no! You're on!"_

**(AN: If you want to reread the entire scene check out Chapter 6 – Of Koalas and Bobcats.)

* * *

**

Shaking her head slightly, she turned to regard her friends with determined eyes.

"I'll try to make this date as nice as possible for your sakes."

"Go get him, Tiger! Or should I say Bobcat?" Mariah joked as Eris looked on, pleased by the outcome of events.

"Don't hurt him too much if he pisses you off," was my advice as I nodded at her. An abrupt knocking on our suite door alerted us to Tala's arrival.

"Knock him off his feet," Mariah whispered as Tamayo went to open the door. Tala stood there casually, his white turtleneck sweater striking against his navy and orange sweatpants. In his arm was a small bouquet of multi-colored lilies, freshly picked from the floral shop on the main floor. His gaze lazily traveled from the ground to take in Tamayo's appearance. I saw his eyes widen at what his saw, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

_'Good, Tala's struck speechless. He bought her flowers, that's definitely a plus. There's hope for him yet. Maybe Brooklyn wouldn't be the one to steal her heart after all.'_ I mused thoughtfully, comparing Tala's chances to Brooklyn's, _'His chances would be a lot better if he stops annoying her all the time.'_

Tala tinted pink when he realized he was staring. Tamayo smirked at his reaction.

"Let's get this dare over with," she drawled lazily as she took the flowers, bringing them to her nose and inhaling their sweet aroma.

"These flowers are wonderful," she breathed, astounded by their sweet scent. Tala grinned at her reaction as he snapped out of his trance.

"Come on, wench, time is ticking."

She glared balefully at him. She had tried to be nice but look where that got her.

_'Nice Tala,'_ I thought sarcastically as I watched her expression turn dark, _'You're not even on your date yet and you already pissed her off. At this rate, you won't get far before she explodes on you.'_

Eris disappeared into the kitchen only to reappear with a vase for Tamayo's bouquet. Tamayo smiled appreciatively at her before placing the lilies inside.

"Let's go," she said shortly as she followed Tala outside, closing the door softly behind them.

"This will be interesting," Eris commented softly before retiring to her room, "I'll be sleeping off my jetlag if anyone needs me."

"I'll also be sleeping off my jetlag. Overpowering Tamayo is exhausting!" Mariah exclaimed with a loud yawn before walking into her room, closing it with a soft click.

_'I guess that leaves me by myself then. I guess I can check out this place.'_

We had arrived in Bern, Switzerland at one in the morning. That was when I met Kenny and Hilary for the first time. It was right after I conked out for the entire three-hour flight from Paris. I was feeling bad for falling asleep on Max, when he was answering my questions about America, and was apologizing profusely for my rudeness as we walked out of the plane and into the airport.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_"Hey guys!" I heard someone yell as I turned to regard two teens waving frantically at us. I raised an eyebrow._

_'Who the hell are these people and why are they waving at us?'_

_"Hilary! Kenny!" Max yelled cheerfully, waving back._

_'Oh, so those two are Kenny and Hilary? Hm, they don't look too bad. Maybe we can tell them after all.'_

_"Move, you're blocking the way," someone grunted behind me. I turned around and sneered at a grumpy Kai._

_"You know, you can just walk around me. It's not as if I'm ten feet wide."_

_He shot me a nasty glare as he turned and started to walk around me._

_"You'll get fat by being lazy. I'm just giving you some exercise," I tossed out languidly, watching as he glowered at me. I smirked triumphantly as I riled him up._

_'It's fun to infuriate him, I must admit.'_

_"KAI!"_

_I looked to my right, started by Hilary's loud yell. She rushed past me and gave him a big hug, clinging tightly to his embrace. I felt a strange feeling starting to bubble in the pit of my stomach as I drilled holes into her back with my glare._

_"It's great to see you again!" she chattered on, not noticing my vengeful aura shimmering behind her._

_**/No need to get jealous, little one/ **I heard Esilé murmur as I started to fume._

_'I'm not jealous!'_

_She only hummed good-naturedly as she shifted in the back of my mind, her scales clinking melodiously.

* * *

_

_'Ok, so we didn't get off to a great start,'_ I thought peevishly, still aggravated by my feelings at her intimate greeting with the cold captain. The bus ride to Sunshine Lodge was slightly better. We were quite annoyed when we found out that we had to wait one more hour before we reach our lodgings. **(AN: A skiing inn isn't really a hotel, right? Well, I couldn't find a better word than 'lodgings'. It sounds so weird.) **It turns out that in order to ski, we have to drive to a distant city called Wengen. The ride wasn't too bad until Hilary started to yell at Tyson.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_"Gosh guys," Tyson moaned as he clutched his stomach in anguish, "I'm so hungry!"_

_Shortly following his outburst as a long and loud growl from his stomach, agreeing with its lamenting master._

_"You're always hungry, Tyson," Hilary snapped from her seat behind him, glaring at the indignant teen._

_"But I'm a growing boy!" he whined as he stared at his belly mournfully as it gave another growl._

_"You ate on the plane just a couple of hours ago!" Tala snapped, exasperated with his seatmate._

_'Poor Tala, he'll have to deal with this all week,' I thought as I looked on with an emotionless face.

* * *

_

I informed the group that we would be returning to Bern in four days time to complete Operation D.T.S. I had finally relented and told Hilary and Kenny about our current situation, and what we were doing in Switzerland, on the bus ride here. Mr. Dickenson had set up our rooms in a hotel in Bern for our last three days in Switzerland. It turns out that Mr. Dickenson had booked us, in groups, for individual suites. A suite had six separate bedrooms, plus a living room and bathroom. There were only fifty-one of us while all nine suites could hold a grand total of fifty-four so we ended up forming a group of three and a group of five. Spencer, Bryan, and Ian shared a suite while King, Zeo, Gordo, Toji, and Kenny shared another. The groups were separated on gender leaving the girls on the third floor and the guys on the second. Immediately upon arrival, Tala was separated from his group to join Tyson's as a part of his bet.

I snickered recalling Enrique's look of relief as he switched with Tala. It was unfair how life was cruel towards him. Walking out of the living room, I entered my room to change into warmer clothes for my outing remembering that the inn was made up of several buildings. The gym was on the side, all by itself, while the cafeteria and suites are in the largest one. There is also a skiing and snowboarding rental shop in on top of the next hill. I dug through my suitcase until I came up with a long-sleeve, black turtleneck sweater along with matching black sweatpants. I wore a red tracksuit jacket over my sweater before pulling on forest-green, fingerless gloves. I hesitated before grabbing my beanie, hoping that it wouldn't be cold enough for me to wear it.

Just as I was about to walk out of the suite, I ran into the devil himself.

"Watch where you're going, Tanaka," he grunted as he picked himself up from the floor. I glared at him coldly.

"What're you doing here?" I asked snidely, "If I remember correctly, this is the girl's floor. All the boys are on the second floor."

"Kai! You're here!" I heard Hilary call from behind me. I stiffened slightly at her tone.

_'Why am I reacting this way? It doesn't make any sense!'_

"I'm here to talk over the training schedule for my team with Hilary," he answered coldly, "Now will you move aside so I can come in?"

I numbly stepped aside as he strode past me, barely noticing the curious stare Hilary sent my way.

"I'm going out," I muttered to her as I walked out the door, turning quickly to the left and hurrying towards the elevator. Pushing the button, I waited impatiently for it to reach the third floor. After what seemed to be an eternity, I heard the distinct 'ding' as the elevator doors slid open and I stepped inside, pushing the button for the lobby.

"Hi Reine," I heard someone greet. My gaze rose from the colorless tiles below my feet to stare at Kenny. He fidgeted nervously, unnerved by my stare. Softening my look, I replied, "Hello Kenny. Where are you headed to?"

"Oh, I was just heading over to the gym. I heard they had a great beyblading facility there," Kenny blabbered, going excitedly on about how it will help the Bladebreakers' training regime and scoping out the competition. After a moment's pause, I spoke.

"Do you mind if I join you? I was going to look around but what you propose sounds even better."

Kenny brightened.

"Ah! Of course! I've been meaning to analyze your blade. From what I've heard from the others, it's very powerful. They were also saying something about your bitbeast being an Ancient."

I nodded at his statement intriguing him even more.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked eagerly, clutching his laptop tightly. Shrugging with indifference, I pulled a one of the blades out of my pocket, careful to make sure it's my orange and white one. **(AN: Remember she has two. :D) **

_'I can't let anyone know I still have Clytem. He'll be my secret weapon if anything happens.'_

Kenny 'ah'ed in appreciation as he examined my blade, careful to note what my bitbeast looked like. The elevator doors opened with a slight 'ding' as we reached the ground floor. I waited for Kenny to walk through first before following him, allowing myself to examine my surroundings.

_'No suspicious characters so far.'_

I've been on alert ever since we landed in Switzerland, cautious so that the Skullz wouldn't suspect us until it's too late.

"Hey Reine, do you mind stopping for a bit? I'm going to look up Esilé on the net real quick then we'll head over to the gym."

I nodded in reply, not really caring where I go as long as I'm away from my suite when _he_ is there. I vaguely noticed Kenny plop down into one of the lobby's chairs.

_'They're probably making out now,'_ I thought with a sneer. Startled at my train of thoughts, I mentally smacked myself.

_'What's gotten into me lately? I'm not acting like myself!'_

I heard, rather than saw, Kenny get to work as his fingers flew over the keyboard with short, sharp clicks.

"Eureka!" he shouted excitedly as he found what he was looking for, "Come here and take a look at this!"

I walked over to Kenny's chair and looked over his shoulder to examine the screen of his laptop. It showed a newspaper clipping from several years ago. I immediately noticed the date.

_'That's about the time the rogue bladers started to organize into teams like the Skullz. Is this a coincidence?'_

I quickly scanned the article.

* * *

**Ancient Inscription found in Roman Mausoleum**

_September 22, 1997  
_

Written by A. Nara

An ancient scroll and tablet was uncovered my Dr. Marino, one of Italy's leading archeologists, in an ancient mausoleum. The mausoleum was thought to have burned down over five thousand years ago. It is thought that this particular scroll was taken from Alexandria's library before the great burning due to the fact that the scroll was written in ancient Greek text. Dr. Lombardi, of the Ancient Roman and Greek History department, was able to translate the first text on the scroll. It mainly spoke about ancient bitbeasts that were sighted in the days of the Roman Empire. The following paragraphs are Dr. Lombardi's translation, even though some text may be have been lost, and the actual text on the scroll.

_Here lies the sealed spirits of ancient, destructive forces.  
These great beasts are larger than the largest temples and more powerful than the largest tempests.  
The souls that have been put to eternal sleep will be set free once more to reek havoc upon our planet if this safe sanctuary was ever disturbed._

Εδώ βρίσκεται τα σφραγισμένα πνεύματα των αρχαίων, καταστρεπτικών δυνάμεων.  
Αυτά τα μεγάλα κτήνη είναι μεγαλύτερα από τους μεγαλύτερους ναούς και ισχυρότερα από τις μεγαλύτερες θύελλες.  
Οι ψυχές που έχουν τεθεί στον αιώνιο ύπνο θα απελευθερωθούν ακόμα μια φορά στον όλεθρο δυσωδιών επάνω στον πλανήτη μας εάν αυτό το ασφαλές άδυτο ήταν πάντα διαταραγμένο.

So far, none of the predictions have been fulfilled. Many archeologists and specialists are skeptical about the contents of this scroll. Although the first passage had been deciphered, the remaining contents remain unknown even though most translators are almost certain it's connected to these colossal, ancient spirits. Found underneath the scroll was a tablet depicted with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, none of which any of specialists can currently identify. They appear to be one of a kind. The tablet seems to have a connection with the scroll above because from what we were able to tell, these strange hieroglyphics seem to refer to the actual bitbeasts themselves. A picture of the tablet is shown below.

* * *

I leaned closer and examined the picture. Two particular hieroglyphics seem to jump out at me. 

_'That's Clytem and Esilé!'_

The two hieroglyphics were side by side depicting two warring beasts. The first seemed to have multiple tentacles wrapped around a serpent like beast that was depicted in the second. I paled as I reread the article.

_'The scroll was referring to the Ancients, but what did they mean by 'reek havoc upon our planet if this safe sanctuary was ever disturbed'? Wasn't it disturbed 5000 years ago when it burned down? Maybe my heirloom has something to do with this.'_

I unconsciously fiddled with the hydra charm around my neck. Come to think of it, it looked eerily like the hieroglyphic, if only a bit.

"This is very…interesting," I said faintly, looking back at Kenny.

"It's rather disturbing how your bitbeasts seems to look like the hieroglyphic and how the inscription seemed to describe these bitbeasts," Kenny said excitedly, closing his laptop with a snap, "Well, that's all I wanted to check out. I remember reading this article a few years back and once I heard about your bitbeast, I just had to check. Now that that's done and over with, let's head to the gym."

Following Kenny absently out of the building and into the next, I lost myself in my thoughts.

_'Esilé, what happened five thousand years ago?'_

**/I do not remember little one. I have lost all memories before I was awoken and dropped into the sea./**

I immediately perked up.

_'Dropped into the sea?'_

**/Yes. I don't ever remember how I was sealed into the charm around your neck, but the next thing I realize was that I was dropped into the sea. The water regenerated me and I awoke. That's when sighting of me began and the mythical beast, the hydra, was created. I traveled around the globe, bringing the charm with me wherever I went. I finally gave it to your ancestors, sensing there was something about them. That's how I ended up here, with you./**

She shifted slightly as she finished, humming softly in the back of my mind.

_'Do you think others were awaken wherever they are?'_

**/Not that I know of, little one. All I know is what I am, how I was awakened, and that Clytem is awakened, him being inside your pocket right now./**

I chewed on this for a bit as I watched Kenny sit on a bench, opening his laptop to record some data from some bladers that were currently battling it out in the beydish. After a while, I turned to leave only to have Kenny stop me.

"Um…Reine? Do you mind if you battle once so I can record some data on your blade and give you a tune-up?"

I thought for a while. I didn't like anyone messing with Esilé other than me, but Kenny was trustworthy since all the Bladebreakers, even _Kai_, lets him touch their blades.

"As long as I'm there when you when you mess with my blade," I conceded, looking around for a decent opponent. I wanted to give Kenny some good data.

_'Not that it will help his team defeat me,'_ I added silently. I finally spotted a violet-haired teen with several piercings on his ears. He seemed to be a decent blader. I watched him finish his battle with a sturdy, blonde-haired teen as he rammed the unfortunate boy's blade out the dish.

_'Not bad for an amateur. He'll probably get good with more practice. We all have to start somewhere.'_

That's exactly what _she_ had told me many years ago. Remembering this brought back my first memory of beyblading, also the fateful day I met Aliahe.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_It was my birthday. I had just turned seven and just received my mother's present. I tore at the neatly wrapped package causing green wrapping paper to fly everywhere. I finally uncovered a velvety blue box. I sucked in my breath as I opened it. Inside laid a beautiful necklace glistening in the morning sun. I examined the charm lying at the center, gently stroking the seven heads of the sea serpent. For a moment, I thought I saw it glow, but it must've been my imagination._

_"Thanks Mommy!" I squealed happily as Eris ignored me, quickly unwrapping her present. She had a similar velvet box only it had a pair of feather-like earrings._

_"They are so pretty," she cooed, smiling brightly at out mom._

_"I'm glad you like them. I'm sorry I can't pass down the family heirloom to you so I bought them for you," Mom apologized, hugging Eris briefly._

_"It's okay, Mommy. I love them whether or not they're family heirlooms or not."_

_Suddenly my dad strolled into the room._

_"Who are my big girls?" he shouted as we ran into his arms, giving him a big hug. Pulling out two presents, he handed one to each of us._

_"Come on, open it," he urged as his eyes held a mischievous twinkle, watching us as we ripped the colorful wrapping paper to reveal two, top-of-the-line beyblades. I beamed happily. It's what I've always wanted._

_"We thought it's about time for you two to start learning to beyblade," I heard Mom say as she walked over to Dad, placing an arm lovingly around his shoulder._

_"This is the best birthday present ever!" I squealed, running over and giving them a big hug. Eris stared at her blade. She wasn't really into the sport and she found it rather pointless._

_"You'll be starting your lessons today," Mom said happily as she kissed both our foreheads, "If you don't like it, you can drop it."_

_Eris nodded, knowing that the statement was directed at her. The drive seemed to last forever as I bounced excitedly in my seat, eyes wide as I took in the scenery flashing by my window._

_"We're here," Dad announced as the car came to a stop, pulling into a parking spot near the local BBA building. I clambered out of the car quickly and ran over to the doors, looking back anxiously, waiting for my family to catch up._

_"Whoa there, kiddo!" my Dad laughed, catching up to me and putting me on his shoulders, his silver hair dancing in the wind. It was from him that I got my hair. I giggled as I clung to his head, one hand clutching my beyblade tightly. He put me down when Mom and Eris caught up before heading inside._

_"Hello! You must be the Tanaka family," a raven-haired woman stated as she walked towards us, a pleasant smile on her face._

_"My name is Aliahe Nara and I will be the mentor of both your daughters."_

_I peered up at her, astounded by her beauty._

_"You're really pretty," I told her shyly, shielding myself from view by hiding behind Dad's legs. She laughed melodically at my comment before leaning down and staring me in the eyes._

_"You're cute yourself," she replied, flicking my nose lightly before straightening back up, "Are you girls ready for your first lesson?"_

_"Yes!" I chirped as Eris nodded shyly, clinging to Mom's hand._

_"Well, come along then. The training room is this way."_

_"Have fun kids!" Dad called as he grabbed Mom's waste, gently steering her back out the lobby, "We'll pick you up in an hour."_

_For me, the hour passed quickly, too fast for my liking. For my first lesson, I've learned how to hold a launcher and the proper position for launching a blade. Then we were taught how to launch a blade. Even after many tries, I couldn't launch it properly. Crying out in frustration, I plopped myself onto the floor and began to sulk._

_"What's the matter, Reiniki?" Aliahe asked, squatting down beside me. It was Aliahe who first called me by my nickname._

_"I can't launch a blade! I'll never good at this rate."_

_She laughed at me as I pouted, frustrated at my inability to even launch a blade correctly._

_"What's so funny?"_

_She quieted down before regarding me seriously and speaking in a gentle tone, "We aren't good when we first start. We need to practice to improve. This is your first lesson and I would say that you're making excellent progress. We all have to start somewhere."_

_Sending me one last smile, she left to check on Eris, leaving me to think about what she'd said._

_'We all have to start somewhere, uh? I might as well start here,' I thought determinedly as I stood up once more. I continued to practice launching my blade until the end of the lesson. I still had a problem with the landing but it had improved drastically._

_"Good job! You are a natural," Aliahe complimented me, patting me softly on my head, "I'll see you here next week then. Don't forget to practice!"_

_I waved good-bye as I walked out the door with my family, watching Aliahe walk back inside. That was the start of our relationship between mentor and student. She encouraged me with her wise words while I used my stubbornness and determination to succeed to continuously push myself. Eris dropped out after two more lessons claiming that the sport just wasn't for her. Aliahe had taught me an important lesson. She had taught me that we all have to improve and in order to do that, we have to start somewhere. There are no shortcuts in life so you have to make your own way.

* * *

_

"Hello? Reine! Are you in there?"

I snapped out of my memories as I saw Kevin wave his hand in front of my face. Kevin was the short, spunky kid of the White Tiger X. I met him when I happened to fall for one of his many pranks that was intended for Mariah.

"What is it?" I asked absently, still feeling disoriented after remembering Aliahe.

"Kenny asked you if you wanted to battle me since he wants some data on your blade, so do you want to battle?" he asked impatiently, hopping from foot to foot.

"I was going to ask that guy over there **(I pointed towards the violet-haired teen with many piercings)** but since you came along, I'll kick your butt instead."

"Not if Galmon and I can help it!" he retorted, running over to an empty dish, "Come on! Let's get started already!"

"You really are anxious to loose aren't you?" I asked as I sauntered over to the dish lazily, amused by his antics.

"We'll see who loses by the end of this battle," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Right. Kenny, will you do the honors?"

"Okay," Kenny replied as he adjusted his glasses, hurrying over with his laptop under his arm. Once he was beside the dish, he raised his arm and declared the rules.

"This is a sudden death match. You loose if your blade stop spinning or is out of the dish. No attacking the opponent or you're disqualified. Bladers ready?"

Quickly loading my launcher, I waited patiently for Kenny's countdown.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

I released Esilé into the dish with a sharp yank on my ripcord. I barely noticed the amateur bladers gathering around to watch the match until I heard snatches of their conversation.

"Hey! Isn't that the guy from the White Tigers X?"

"Yeah! It's Kevin!"

"He's going to roast that amateur!"

I snorted at the last statement.

_'I'll show you who'll roast whom.'_

"Galmon!" I heard Kevin shout as his purple blade closed in on mine, "Slam her out of the dish!"

Esilé quickly evaded his attack before returning to spin in the middle of the dish.

"You have to do better than that to get me out of the game," I taunted the green-haired Asian.

"Fine! If you want power, we'll give you power! GALMON! CRAZY MONKEY ATTACK!"

Suddenly, Kevin's blade split into five separate blades, each taking a turn to slam into Esilé. I looked on, amused.

"You call this power?" I asked as I stared at his blades' assault.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he yelled, thoroughly frustrated that I'm not loosing any spin even after he called out his special attack.

"Maybe with your bitbeast out, I'll actually have a challenge," I goaded.

_'If I'm not mistaken, Esilé had gotten a lot stronger after defeating Loréndoz and I'm just about to test that theory. If I can defeat his blade and bitbeast without Esilé it means both Esilé and I have improved.'_

"If you wanted to loose so bad, you could've just told me!" Kevin said with a toothy smirk, "You heard her Galmon, ARISE!"

With a bright, yellow light five giant baboons rose out of Kevin's blades screeching insanely.

"Crazy Monkey attack!"

"Dodge them, Esilé," I replied calmly, keeping a sharp eye out for weaknesses.

_'His left-most blade is spinning differently from the others. That must be his real blade.'_

"Attack the left-most one!"

Swerving sharply, my orange blade headed full speed for the stunned Galmon before knocking him clean out of the dish.

"I guess I win, Kevin. I didn't even have to call on my bitbeast," I said smugly sending him a cocky smirk. Fine, sue me for relishing the moment! I didn't get to gloat after I defeated Loréndoz.

"Whatever," he mumbled as he picked up his blade from the floor, "I'll defeat you next time!"

"Fine, but you're going to loose again if you don't fix your attack. I noticed a difference between you copies and original," I said loosely, sending him a discreet wink as he blushed.

"You must be slacking again," I heard a reprimanding voice say before Lee appeared out of the crowd of onlookers.

_'Aww crap! I didn't know there was so many people watching! Now I've majorly embarrassed Kevin. He'll never forgive me!'_

Kevin hung his head in shame.

"Sorry Lee," he mumbled as he trudged towards his team leader. Lee's eyes softened a bit.

"Don't worry Kevin. I would've lost, too, against her. She's powerful not to mention her bitbeast. Even when Garland and Brooklyn couldn't defeat Loréndoz, she defeated him without breaking a sweat."

I blinked at his statement.

"What tournament were you watching?" I asked, peeved at Lee for exaggerating my win, "I sweated a lot and he was no cupcake."

"All right! All right!" Lee laughed, "I'm sorry for exaggerating the truth a bit, but you did defeat him."

"Yeah," I mumbled as I caught sight of the two people I did _not_ want to see here, "Well I'm going to go. I hope you got the data you wanted, Kenny."

"Yeah! It was great!" he chirped as he typed excitedly on his laptop.

"Slow down Chief! You're going to break my keyboard!"

I stopped at looked back at Kenny.

"Who was that?" I asked, confused, as I looked around. Seeing that there was no one else but Kenny, I raised an eyebrow.

_'Was that my imagination or what?'_

"Oh, that was Dizzi," Kenny answered nonchalantly as he continued to type furiously, "She's my bitbeast who's stuck inside my laptop."

I stared at him, bug-eyed.

"You're bitbeast is stuck inside you laptop?" I repeated slowly making sure I heard him correctly.

"Uh huh," he mumbled absently as he continued to type. I shook my head and decided not to comment. As I headed outside, I brushed past Kai and Hilary.

"I hope you enjoyed the show," I said sarcastically, sending a pointed glare in Kai's direction. Hilary returned my glare, but I could care less.

_'He's always trying to scope out my moves. Is he really desperate to win in our rematch? Sheesh! At the rate he's going, I'll just throw in the match to make him happy and leave me the fuck alone.'_

I wandered around the snowy hills, not really caring where I'm going or where I'll end up. Yelling broke me out of my reverie.

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SAID I COULDN'T GET A BETTER BOYFRIEND AND NOW YOU'RE ANGRY AT ME FOR BEING WRONG? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU BEING NEAR _HIM_!"

"MY LIFE IS NOT FOR YOU TO CONTROL!"

Hiding myself behind a snowdrift, I peeked over to find myself looked at a flushed Tamayo and a red Tala.

_'Oh boy. Why do I get the feeling their date didn't turn out as planned?'

* * *

_

**Author's Note:**

Once again I did not elaborate on Tala and Tamayo's date. xD I'm pure evil! –runs away from mob of angry readers– Before you decide to kill me, you should know that it will result in no more new chapters. xD I love being the evil authoress!

Do I sense _jealousy_! Sorry to you Hilary fans. I'll just have you guys know that she's _not,_ and I repeat _not,_ acting like a slut. It's Reine's point of view and she's really paranoid. x3 I wonder why? –hint hint–

Sorry for the constant breaks in the story line. I know it's hard to follow considering the flashbacks and all. I just didn't know where to fit it all in. -.- I finally got in another flashback with Aliahe for all you curious readers out there. :D She does play a significant role in Reine's life, but you will have to just keep reading and see what it is.

Next chapter, I will backtrack and actually talk about how Tamayo and Tala ended up with that argument. ;D Until then, be tortured by the suspense! Bwhahaha! I'm evil! **(AN: Ignore me. I was given chocolate.)**

I have reached over 670 hits and I'm one review away from the 40 reviews mark! xD I can't believe how far I got!

I would like to thank **fruit salad02**, **whyamidoingthis01**, **DaCow Takao**, and last but certainly not least **Sweet-Plum** for being so understanding about my lack of inspiration. :D You guys are awesome and you make my day with all your reviews!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	13. A Day on a Hill

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 13 – A Day on a Hill**

**Tamayo's POV**

I closed the door softly behind me as I turned towards a smirking Tala.

"So where are we going to go?" I asked lazily, not in any particular hurry to go on a date with him. His expression turned serious for a minute. I blinked and it was gone.

_'That's weird. It must've been my imagination.'_

"We'll walk around the hills first. The snow is very pretty in the afternoon sun."

I shrugged. It didn't matter what we did as long as we got it over with. He walked beside me as we headed for the elevator, my shoes clicking loudly on the tile floors was the only sound that broke through the silence. With an audible 'ding' the elevator reached our floor and the doors slid open silently.

"Ladies first," he said mockingly. I shot him a cold glare before walking in followed shortly by Tala. The elevator jerked to a start. I hit the button for the lobby before leaning back and waiting. With a small jerk, the elevator slowed to a stop on the second floor. The doors opened to reveal Brooklyn.

"Brooky!" I called happily, glad that he managed to interrupt our "date".

"Hello Tamayo, Tala," he answered politely as he regarded Tala warily, conscious of the murderous glare that was shot his way.

"So what are you doing?" I asked casually, ignoring Tala's glowering expression

"I was thinking about checking out the stores on the ground floor," he answered nonchalantly as he leaned against the far wall of the elevator.

"Sounds interesting. May I join you?"

"You're suppose to be spending the afternoon with me!" Tala finally snapped, his face red with anger.

"We aren't doing anything than walking around the hills," I retorted, "Besides, it wouldn't hurt if we took some time and looked around the ground floor with Brooky, right?"

"Whatever," he answered, looking away.

"Thanks Taly-baba," I chirped with fake enthusiasm. With another annoying 'ding' the elevator came to a stop and opened the doors on the ground floor. I followed Brooklyn out with Tala tagging reluctantly behind.

"So where do you want to go first?" I asked Brooklyn as I stared up into his eyes.

"I was thinking the floral shop," he answered, shoving his hands into his white trousers.

"Sounds good to me," I replied as I grinned happily up at him. He was a good half-foot or so taller than me, with me being 5'2". **(AN: I couldn't find Brooklyn's actual height. Dx)** Walking into the quaint shop I gasped at the array of flowers available before making my way over to a shelf of freshly cut roses.

"You should spend your time with Tala," he finally said, breaking the peaceful silence in the aromatic shop. I stood up from sniffing a bunch of roses to stare at him. I looked around quickly and realized that Tala had left to wander around somewhere.

"Why do you say that?" I asked suspiciously.

_'I thought he was on my side!'_

"He's actually trying to make an effort and be nice," he answered simply in that infuriating way of his, making you seem extremely stupid. I guess I was acting like a class-A bitch towards Tala.

"He's doing this just to get on my nerves," I tried to convince him. He only shrugged before turning back and examining some white lilies.

_'More like convince myself.'_

Shaking my head to get rid of such thoughts, I turned back and stared at the flowers without actually seeing them.

_'I guess he was making an effort. He did bring me flowers,'_ I thought as I absently stroked the crimson petals of the rose, _'Crimson red just like his hair.'_

Mentally smacking myself, I scolded myself.

_'Where the hell did that come from!'_

I felt guilt creep up my spine as I reviewed the way I've acted this afternoon. I felt ashamed at the way I treated him.

_'Maybe he was trying to be nice after all. I'll go find him right now and actually take his offer seriously.'_

"I'll see you around, Brooklyn," I called over my shoulder as I hurried out of the shop, "I'm going to find Tala and complete the dare!"

I felt rather than saw Brooklyn smile to himself as he continued to examine the delicate white flowers. Rushing past the front desk, I looked around frantically for a glimpse of bright, red hair.

_'There!'_

I spotted Tala heading towards the cafeteria as I picked up my pace.

"Tala! Wait up!" I called at him as I ran up.

"Are you done with Carrot-top?" he asked snidely as he turned around to wait for me.

"Don't call Brooky 'Carrot-top'!" I scolded lightly as I stared into his hard, blue eyes.

"Oh yes, I'm very sorry for calling 'Brooky' Carrot-top," he remarked sarcastically, feigning remorse.

"Oh fuck you!" I screamed in frustration before stomping out of the cafeteria and through the doors of the lobby into the shimmering white world.

_'Brooklyn was wrong! He wasn't trying to be nice! He's not even making any effort! Well, except for the flowers. Brooklyn was the one who convinced me to give him another chance and there he goes trash talking him! I can't stand the guy!'_

Letting loose another scream of frustration, I stomped towards the far hill beside the skiing and snowboarding rental shop.

_'He's just a prick like I thought!'_

"Hey Wench! Slow down!"

_'Well speak of the devil,'_ I thought sarcastically as Tala caught up.

"What do you want?" I snapped impatiently, not wanting to deal with his stupidity and rudeness.

"We're still on our dare, you know," he commented idly as he strode leisurely beside my fast and furious pace.

_'One of the downsides to being short compared to everyone else,'_ I thought sourly taking in Tala's 5'9" profile. Snarling mentally, I felt myself snap at his smug expression on riling me.

"Fuck the dare," I snapped, "I'd rather cross dress and go out with a girl than spend the entire afternoon and evening with you!"

**(AN: Ooo! Can you say burn? xD)**

He stopped beside me as I kept walking. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Why do you insist on spending time with Carrot-top?" he demanded, his eyes holding a furious glint.

"Stop calling him that!" I snapped angrily as I tried to yank my arm out of his grasp, "And who I choose to spend my time with is none of your concern!"

"Why _him_?" he spat as he threw my arm down.

"Did you take into account that I might actually, you know, _like_ him?" I spat back, gently massaging my sore wrist.

_'I'll have a bruise there tomorrow,'_ I thought angrily.

"HE'S ONLY A FOOL! WHY WOULD YOU WASTE YOUR TIME ON SOMEONE LIKE HIM?" Tala exploded angrily.

"HE'S BETTER THAN YOU!" I responded, just as angry, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SAID I COULDN'T GET A BETTER BOYFRIEND AND NOW YOU'RE ANGRY AT ME FOR BEING WRONG? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU BEING NEAR _HIM_!"

"MY LIFE IS NOT FOR YOU TO CONTROL!"

We just stood there, furious at each other for different reasons, not realizing we had an audience. Puffing angrily, I barely noticed my breath steaming around my flushed face as I stared down a just as red Tala.

"Sometimes I really want to," Tala suddenly whispered melancholically as he reached out a hand brushed away a straying piece of air. I was stunned at his display.

_'What's wrong with him?'_

"Wh-what do y-you m-mean?" I stuttered as I started to feel the cold seep into my bones.

_'Damn its cold out here!'_ I thought as I started to rub my arms vigorously, _'And this silk jacket isn't doing much in the warmth department.'_

"Here," Tala said, now completely calm, as he took off his white turtleneck sweater and handed it to me. He was wearing a black muscle shirt underneath.

"W-won't you b-be c-cold?" I asked as I took his sweater and took off my jacket temporarily to pull it on over my white blouse.

"No," he answered curtly, "I grew up in colder weather back in Russia. This is warm for me."

Without warning, he strode forward and hugged me into his chest, waves of heat radiating off his body.

"W-what are y-you d-doing?" I spluttered, stuttering not from the cold but rather the intimate position we were in.

_'This would be hard to explain if someone happened to stumble onto us.'_ I vaguely thought as I started to relax in his embrace.

"I'm keeping you warm," was his answer as he kept hugging me.

"But I'm warm now, thanks to your sweater," I mumbled into his chest, inhaling his crisp scent.

_'He smells like winter, like the fresh smell of pine needles.'_

I thought I felt a feathery kiss over the top of my head.

_'Did I imagine that? Tala wouldn't have possibly done that, would he?'_

I wasn't sure about anything anymore. His weird actions were scaring me…in a nice sort of way. I guess you can call them sweet to some extent.

"Can you let go?" I asked five minutes later as he continued to hold onto me after my statement.

"I like holding you."

His chest rumbled as he spoke, vibrating against my cheek. I felt myself blush as his voice reached my ears, it sounded extremely nice.

"Hmm," I mumbled as I hugged him back, startling him as I felt him tense before relaxing once more.

"Why are you doing this?" I finally managed to ask, pulling slightly away from his embrace, "Why do you hate Brooklyn so much? Why does it bother you so much that I like him?"

Ignoring my first question, he spoke quietly, "I don't hate Brooklyn. I just hate the fact that you would settle for someone like him. You can do better!"

I giggled at his comment.

"What's so funny?" he asked, staring at me earnestly, "Do you not take me seriously?"

"Of course," I managed to squeeze out before another fit of giggles took my breath away. Wiping away from straying tears, I managed to get myself under control.

"I just find it funny that the almighty Tala Valkov is _jealous_!"

"What if I am?" he snapped irritatedly. I gaped at his confession.

_'That was new. Did I really make him confess?'_

"Why?" was all I can ask.

_'What does Brooklyn have that makes him so jealous?'_

"Because I…I like you," he confessed, turning away to stare at a couple skiing, laughing happily. I was shocked into silence. An uncomfortable pause made me shift uncomfortably.

"You like me?" I managed to ask softly still staring at his back intently.

"Yes," he answered, still looking away. I hesitated before walking up to him and hugging him around the middle again, my head leaning against his back.

"I'm not with Brooklyn."

I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"You're not?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah, it was something we agreed on," I whispered, closing my eyes as I remembered our conversation. It was the night we first met all the bladers. I was lost when I bumped into him and we started to talk. We became fast friends. The incident took place shortly after our argument in the bookstore.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_It was shortly after our second meeting ended. I was walking around aimlessly and ended up in the kitchen. I looked up and spotted a head of ginger hair._

_"Hey Brooky," I called, settling down comfortably in the chair across the table from him._

_"Hello Tamayo," he answered, turning his cerulean gaze onto me. I contemplated asking him for a favor._

_"Listen, can you do me a favor? I really need to get this jerk back," I asked, hoping that he would agree._

_"Depends on what it is. Is it illegal?"_

_"No! I wouldn't go to illegal means!" I answered, shocked that he would suspect me, "What kind of person do you take me for?"_

_He chuckled at me reaction as I pouted at him._

_"I was just checking. I had to be sure. Anyway, what is this favor you needed me to do?"_

_"I want you to act as my boyfriend," I said quickly as he rose an eyebrow, "Tala and I made a bet because he said I would never get a boyfriend better than him. I find that it's relatively easy to find one better than him, because most are. Anyway, that's off topic. I know I'm asking a lot but can you please do this for me? I can only ask you because you're the only one I trust."_

_Brooklyn contemplated for a second._

_"If you do me a favor in return," he finally answered. Leaning forward, he whispered into my ear._

_"Fine, you got yourself a deal," I said as I grinned widely, shaking his hand to seal it, "Starting from now, you're my 'unofficial' boyfriend."

* * *

_

"We made a deal when I called on him for a favor to beat you at your bet," I explained, releasing my hold on his waste so he can turn around.

"You don't like him?" he asked slowly, turning his unfathomable eyes to stare at me intensely.

"No, I don't," I answered as I shuffled uncomfortably.

_'And I know he doesn't like me either because I know exactly who he likes.'_

"So I guess I win the bet after all," he replied smugly. I glowered at him.

"Because you couldn't do better than me. You have me."

I gaped at his answer as he took the opportunity to capture my lips with his. I stood stock-still while trying register what was happening before kissing him back. **(AN: Let's leave these alone, ne? xD)

* * *

**

**Reine's POV**

I sighed in relief as I saw Tala kiss her.

_'I guess it did work out fine. She was clever to do that with Brooklyn. Oh well. I should get going while the going is good. If she finds me spying on them, well I can kiss my life good-bye.'_

Turning around quietly I was confronted by a pair of crimson eyes.

"JE–" I started to say before he placed his hand over my mouth to muffle my outburst. He stared at me sternly before removing his hand.

"Jesus Kai! You scared the crap out of me!" I whispered angrily, glaring at him. He just smirked saucily at me. Sending him one last look of loathing I turned and slipped away quietly from the scene of crime.

_'Hmm, this is an interesting turnout. I wonder what the deal involved.'_

"I didn't know you would spy on your best friend," I heard Kai say nonchalantly behind me. Gritting my teeth in frustration I picked up my pace.

_'I thought I ditched him!'_

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I drawled lazily as he caught up, "Like making out with Hilary?"

He froze as I kept walking, ignoring the fact that he wasn't following.

_'I guess they were making out,'_ I thought bitterly, _'Why do I even care?'_

I walked casually back into the lobby, as if nothing happened, and caught sight of Brooklyn as he headed towards the elevator. Making up my mind to talk to him, I hurried over.

"Hey Brooklyn," I called cheerfully, a mischievous glint in my eyes.

"Hello," he answered warily, catching sight of glint.

"So what were you doing?" I asked curiously.

"I went to all the shop on the ground floor. Some of them were really interesting," he answered as he relaxed a bit, still a bit tense just in case I did do something.

"I didn't get a chance to check them all yet. All I know is that they have a floral shop considering Tala brought Tamayo flowers," I casually tossed out, taking a peek at Brooklyn's expression to see if what Tamayo said was true. I reached out to push the elevator's button.

_'He is one hell of an actor to fool us all if he really doesn't.'_

I noticed him smile slightly to himself.

_'So Tamayo wasn't lying. That makes me even more curious as to what deal it was to hook Brooklyn into doing this.'_

"How do you like the trip so far?" Brooklyn asked casually.

"It's okay, I guess. It would be better if I wasn't stuck for a fifteen-hour flight sitting next to Kai."

He chuckled at my answer. With a soft 'ding' the doors slid open.

_'Come to think of it, Eris seemed rather smug when Tamayo answered the door. Did she know something about this?'_

"Or does she have good intuition?"

"Hmm? What was that?" Brooklyn asked. I blushed.

"No-nothing!" I blurted out before turning red even more.

_'Did I say that out loud? God I'm stupid!'_

"Well, this is my stop," Brooklyn said as the elevator stopped on the second floor, "I'll see you at dinner."

"Yeah, see you," I mumbled as I looked up from my thoughts. He sent me one last curious look before stepping out. The door closed quietly after him leaving me alone in its silence.

**/You're confused little one./**

_'What do you mean, Esilé? What could I possibly be confused about?'_

**/You're confused about where you stand in Kai's heart/** came her knowing reply. I flared at her statement.

_'No I'm not! I know exactly where I stand. He hates me and I hate him. End of story.'_

I heard her chuckle as her waves of mirth flowed through our link.

**/I was there when he kissed you./**

I blushed at the memory.

_'It was nothing. It was probably an accident. He likes Hilary after all. He visits her and they act rather intimate, don't they?'_

**/You should find out for yourself. I can't help you there, little one/** she replied and with her final statement, she faded from the back of my mind.

"But I do know. I don't have to find out anything," I said out loud into the confined space.

_'Do I?'_

With a shudder, the elevator arrived on my floor. The door slid open with a silent whoosh. I stepped out carefully before wandering absently down the hall. Digging through the pockets of my tracksuit jacket, I emerged with my cardkey. Sliding it deftly through the lock, it opened with a soft click. I stepped quietly inside knowing that Eris and Mariah were still sleeping.

"Oh, you're back," I heard Hilary call from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I answered as I headed to my room, "If you need me, I'll be in the shower."

"Okay."

I opened the door and closed it behind me. I quickly grabbed my necessary undergarments along with a plain white shirt and black pants before hurrying back out and into our small bathroom.

_'Why does such a big suit have such a tiny bathroom?' _I grumbled to myself as I changed out of my clothes and dumped them on the floor. Turning the knob to hot I stepped under the steaming showerhead. Sighing in bliss I pondered the day's events.

_'Everything's so confusing. First Kai's actions then Tamayo and Tala mess. It's giving me all a headache.'_

Turning off the water, I grabbed a towel and started to dry myself off.

"…she's in the shower."

I paused as I heard Hilary's voice.

_'Who's she talking to?'_

Shrugging it off, I continued to dry myself and my hair. Quickly pulling on my clothes, I ran a brush absently through my wet hair. Throwing the towel into the laundry basket I walked out of the steamy bathroom. I headed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water only to run into someone I'd rather _not_ see. Deciding that the best course of action would be to ignore him, I walked past him and grabbed a cup before filling it with filtered water.

"Tanaka, we need to talk."

Pursing my lips slightly, I turned around and said in a sickly sweet voice, "We have nothing to talk about. I don't have to talk to _you_ at all."

"Just shut up Tanaka and come with me."

He leaned forward and grabbed my arm despite my protests. When I tried to dump my cup of water over him, he grabbed the cup and placed it onto the counter before pinning my arm to my side.

"Let go of me!" I shrieked indignantly as he hefted me over his shoulder and walked to my room before dropping me on my bed.

"Get out of my room! You can't just invite yourself in!"

"I just did," he replied as he shut the door and locked it behind him. I spluttered at his action.

"Unlock the door! What do you think you're doing?"

"As I said before, we need to talk," he answered seriously before sitting on the other side of the bed.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Well I guess you'll have to listen to me because I have something to say."

"I don't care about what you have to say. All I care about is for _you_ to get out of _my_ room!"

I pointed my finger in the direction of the exit.

"I'm not going anywhere until you listen to what I have to say," he answered, deadpanned. With a resigned sigh, I finally relented.

"Fine, but you get out straight after, alright?"

He grunted before turning and staring into my eyes intently.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked as I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I don't like Hilary," he said seriously before turning and staring out the window on the side of my bedroom. I snorted.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? It's so fucking obvious!"

_'Why am I getting so riled up?'_

"Quit acting jealous, Tanaka. It doesn't suit you."

I glowered at him.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not jealous about your relationship. I could care less if you run off and get eloped."

"Stop acting dumb. I didn't know you were so stupid. I actually thought you had brains, unlike some girls."

"I'm not stupid, I just state the obvious when I see it," I answered stubbornly.

"This isn't getting anywhere," Kai said as he stood up.

_'Finally he gets the point. I'm too stubborn for my own good. Once an idea is lodged in my head, it's nearly impossible to change it.'_

Sighing in relief, I walked to the door and unlocked it. Turning around I was about to tell him that he can leave now, he pinned me against the door.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I struggled in his grasp.

"Showing you so you can understand," was his simple reply as he leaned down and kissed me, again.

_'This is _not_ happening!'_ was my last thought before I lost myself in his soft lips.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I think I'll cut it off here. :D Sorry for the shortness! I'm so nice not to leave it in a cliffy in my absense. That's right, you heard me. I'll be gone for like four days to study for my finals. I don't know if I will have time to update or not during the period. After that, I have some volunteer work for my school. x( Life's getting busy for me since summer vacation is almost over. I'll try, I said _try_, to squeeze in an update or two. :-( Sorry for the inconvenience!

There's plenty of fluffiness in this chapter! I guess during the lull between action scenes, it will show developing relationships. I honestly don't know how much longer this fic will be. It might be up to thirty chapters or just twenty. I'm only halfway through, okay maybe not even that, my planned plot and I'm constantly adding on. I hope it will be longer, but I can't promise much. My updates will probably slow down drastically once school starts. Sorry guys.

Wow! I have over 750 hits and I've reached 50 reviews! Thanks so much all you cool people out there!

**Crownowa – I'm going to answer your questions. You bring up valid points and I guess I wasn't really paying attention. :P  
1) I put the beginning of the semester in second week of August based on the American school year, at least in Texas. I didn't really do any research on the Japanese school year. I apologize for not making it clear. I put the incident in May. I didn't really remember when the actual BEGA incident was. All I knew was that it was during Spring and it seemed like school was out. Dx I guess I really messed up the timing, neh?  
2) He's an upperclassman and Kai being fifteen, based on the English version, Robert's probably around 16 (even though he should be a lot older) and based on my school system he would still be in school at that age. I figured that he would still be here as a senior considering Kai is a junior. I really didn't take it into consideration but I really wanted him to be in the story and I didn't want to use Enrique or Oliver. Sorry for the confusion.  
3) Just like I answered in question 2, Kai is fifteen and he's not graduating yet. Considering he's in the Japanese system, which I'm not familiar with at all in case you didn't notice xP, I thought he would at least be a junior in high school. It was in chapter 3 that said he was a junior if you want to check.  
I'm not sure about making an OC with Johnny considering I'm not sure what I'm going to do besides the main line of the plot, I will see what I can do. x) The thing with King and Queen, so far they're only there to look pretty. I think I'm going to do something with them later on. You'll have to read and see. ;D**

**Ms. Controversy – Reine is pronounced as "rain". xD I'm still waiting for an uber update! I wonder when Kai will realize how bitchy Hilary is for not believing Reine. I think she's only trying to turn the others against Reine about that hospital incident because she's jealous. xD That's probably just my messed-up fan logic!**

I would like to thank everyone for reviewing in their free time! This makes me so giddy and high on life! A shout out to **Icey Iris**, **whyamidoingthis01**, **DaCow Takao**, **soldier4Christ**, **fruit salad2**, **Crownowa**, **Sweet-Plum**, and last but certainly not least **Ms. Controversy** for being uber cool people and supportive! I love you guys!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	14. Megaloceros

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 14 – Megaloceros**

**Reine's POV**

I walked shakily out of the room.

"Did everything turn out alright?" Hilary asked as I stumbled into the kitchen, holding onto the countertop for dear life.

"D-dandy," I managed to mutter before grabbing my full cup from before and downing the liquid inside with one gulp.

"If you say so," Hilary answered skeptically and returned to packing sandwiches. I stared her blankly, watching as she put sandwich after sandwich into a small cooler. After her actions registered in my mind, I shook myself out of it.

"What are you doing?" I questioned as I watched her continue packing sandwich after sandwich.

"I'm packing tomorrow's lunch for after we ski," she answered simply as she continued to mechanically make, wrap, and place the food into the cooler.

"Okay," I mumbled as I walked out of the kitchen just as Kai walked in, a smug smirk on his tilted lips.

"Shut up," I muttered at him out of the corner of my mouth before walking unsteadily into my room and shutting door, making sure to lock it incase he came back. I flopped onto my bed tiredly and stared at the ceiling for a minute, closing my eyes and stared at the darkness that were my eyelids.

"What just happened?" I asked myself quietly, pondering what happened less than 5 minutes ago. Unconsciously, my hand drifted to my lips.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

"_Quit acting jealous, Tanaka. It doesn't suit you."_

_I glowered at him._

"_Don't flatter yourself. I'm not jealous about your relationship. I could care less if you run off and get eloped."_

"_Stop acting dumb. I didn't know you were so stupid. I actually thought you had brains, unlike some girls."_

"_I'm not stupid, I just state the obvious when I see it," I answered stubbornly._

"_This isn't getting anywhere," Kai said as he stood up._

'_**Finally he gets the point. I'm too stubborn for my own good. Once an idea is lodged in my head, it's nearly impossible to change it.'**_

_Sighing in relief, I walked to the door and unlocked it. Turning around I was about to tell him that he can leave now, he pinned me against the door._

"_What are you doing?" I asked as I struggled in his grasp._

"_Showing you so you can understand," was his simple reply as he leaned down and kissed me, again._

'_**This is **not** happening!'** was my last thought before I lost myself in his soft lips._

**(AN: If you want to reread the entire scene, it's Chapter 13 – A Day on a Hill.)

* * *

**

I felt myself blush as I remembered the event.

_'Did he really mean it?'_ I mused, putting a hand on my forehead.

**/I don't believe Kai is one to lie/** Esilé reassured me, crooning softly.

_'I know, but does that mean he actually have feelings for me? I mean, he's so cold all the time. I can never tell.'_

**/He hides his feeling well, young one. It makes me sad that he had such a hard past to make him so fearful of getting them hurt./**

_'He's afraid of getting hurt? Is that why he's so…aloof?'_

Esilé hummed softly.

"I never thought of it that way," I whispered softly, remembering the contrasting expression he wore as we parted from our kiss. His eyes were soft and warm, like molten lava. He actually held an expression apart from his mask. Remembering the gentle expression on his face, I fell into a deep slumber, my jetlag having caught up with me.

An abrupt knocking on my bedroom door woke me up.

"Reine! Are you there? Come on! It's time for dinner!"

I turned over on my bed and placed a pillow over my head, trying to block the horrible sound of someone pounding on the door.

"Go away and let me sleep in peace," I mumbled into my sheets, my voice muffled by the thick, soft comforter. I suddenly bolted awake as I remembered the reason I fell asleep.

_'That's the second time I fell asleep thinking of him!'_

I mentally smacked myself.

"REINE HARLIET TANAKA! GET YOUR SORRY ARSE OUT HERE!" I heard Eris shriek on the other side of the door.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back at her, straightening my rumpled clothing as I ran my brush hastily running my brush through my hair. The hallway grew quiet as I finished preparing myself. Opening the door, I hurried out into the hall.

"About time, Tanaka," I heard a masculine voice drawl behind me. I froze and turned around slowly. Kai was leaning against the wall beside my door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, bewildered.

"Waiting for you. Now come on, everyone's waiting."

I gaped at him as he walked forward, draping his arm casually around my waist. My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as I tried to form my incoherent thoughts into a single sentence. He smirked down at me.

"What? Can't I hold my girlfriend?"

Regaining my senses, I bristled slightly at my _title_.

"Girlfriend? Girlfriend! When the hell did I become your girlfriend!" I managed to splutter indignantly.

"Maybe when I pronounced my undying love for you," he muttered sarcastically before rolling his eyes, "Didn't I tell you that I didn't like Tachibana?"

"One, you never pronounced your undying love for me or I would've hung myself by now," I stated, deadpanned, before continuing, "and two, why does it make me your girlfriend by telling me that you never liked Hilary?"

"You're thick, you know that?" Kai said impatiently, "And I did proclaim my undying love for you. Why did you think I kissed you?"

"Because you're a love-deprived boy," I drawled lazily, trying to remove his hand from my waist. His grip tightened, hitting me in my ticklish spot like three months ago.

"Eep!" I squeaked as he stared strangely at me. I blushed furiously as I tried to pry his hand from my waist feverishly.

"You're ticklish," he said slowly, a plan forming in his mind. Without warning, he started to tickle me nonstop, pushing me back into my room and onto my bed, straddling my waist.

"S-stop it K-kai!" I managed to wheeze out between bouts of uncontrollable laughter.

"Say you love me," he whispered teasingly into my ear.

"N-no! N-never!" I managed to splutter before he tickled me harder. He grinned maniacally down at me as I tried in vain to breathe.

"Say it," he murmured seductively.

"F-fine! I-I l-love y-you!"

He finally stopped tickling me as I lay prone underneath him, dragging in quick, shallow breaths after his tickle escapade.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he muttered, staring down at me with laughing eyes.

_'He's acting a lot more open. Is it because we're alone? He isn't his cold, aloof self.'_

"No," I pouted.

_'I can't believe I'm acting like this! He just makes me feel so…happy and safe. Is this…love? I'm too young to know what love is, right?'_

"So does this settle the fact that you're my girlfriend?" he asked, drawing closer to my flushed face. I gulped nervously as his hand tightened around my arms, pinning them effectively to the bed. Working up my courage, I finally managed to whisper, "Yes."

He smiled happily down at me, the first time I've ever seen him smile. He wasn't the usual moody teen I knew. The absence of his broody expression gave him a boyish charm.

"Good. Then that means I can do this all I want from now on," he stated, a mischievous smirk tugging on his lips.

"Do wha–" but I was interrupted by his mouth swooping down and covering mine, effectively silencing me. His lips moved sensually against mine as he cradled my head with his hand. I moaned as he nibbled on my lower lip, asking for the entrance to my mouth. When I refused, he bit down harder causing me to gasp. I felt his tongue slip inside, exploring every inch of my hot cavern.

"Hey Kai. Did you manage to get Rei–" I vaguely heard Eris in the background before she froze at the scene playing out before her. I felt Kai smirk against my slips as I smirked back, laughing silently at Eris' astonishment. Breaking out of her reverie, I heard Eris mutter disgustedly, "Ew. Next time you guys do that, close the door."

We broke apart as we came up for air. I could tell that my hair was mussed once more just like my clothes were from our…err…little makeout session. We panted heavily, never tearing our eyes from each other. Kai looked very disheveled. I bet I looked no better.

"Anyway, lovebirds, dinner is ready and everyone is waiting for the both of you."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," I muttered as I scooted off the bed, but not before glaring at Eris' amused expression, and walked out of the room and into the bathroom, straightening my appearance once more. Once I was out I noticed that Eris had left. Kai slouched against the far wall, once more appearing cold and untouchable except for the smirk tilted on his soft, kissable lips. I gave him an uneasy look as I approached him.

"You ready?" he asked as he leaned down and stole one more kiss before placing his arm possessively around my waist.

"Yeah," I muttered as I dropped my face into the crook of his head. We walked out of the suite slowly and approached the elevator. Waiting a couple of minutes, the elevator arrived with a soft 'ding' before proceeding to slide open with a 'whoosh'. The ride down to the cafeteria was uneventful, except if you count the kisses here and there, nothing major. I giggled softly as he nuzzled my ear affectionately just as we walked through the doorway to the food court.

"Won't they get scared because you're acting all emotional?" I whispered into his hear.

"Won't they get scared because you're reacting back?" he shot back, smiling into my hair.

"Should we tell them? I mean, Eris already knows and she probably already blabbed."

"Let them see, it's not as if I care. I care for you and that's all that matters," he muttered as he started to nuzzle my neck again. We walked to the tables where the rest of the bladers were still clinging to each other.

"Hey guys," Ray greeted toothily as Mariah waved, her eyes glinted brightly as she looked predatorily at me.

_'Why do I have a feeling I'll be grilled the moment I step back into the suite?'_

"Hey," Kai greeted casually, his grip tightening possessively briefly before he dropped his arm and took the seat beside Ray as I sat down beside him next to Tamayo.

"You look cozy there," she hissed, smirking smugly at me.

"So do you," I drawled lazily, shooting a smirk at a talking Tala beside her. She blushed as she realized what I was inferring. She punched me lightly in the arm as she stuttered, "I-I don't kn-know wh-what y-your talking ab-about."

"Right," I smirked, "Tell it to someone who's gullible enough to believe you, or blind enough."

She huffed before turning to study her menu intensely. Suddenly Tala leaned over and kissed her affectionately on the cheek as she blushed furiously, her façade broken.

"As you were saying?"

"Shut up Tanaka," she snapped hotly as Tala started to tease loose strands of her hair.

"Looks like everyone hooked up," Eris commented from across the table beside Toji, "First Tamayo and Tala, then Mariah and Ray."

"Mariah and Ray! Why wasn't I told of this?" I gasped, shooting Mariah a dirty glare.

"You were too busy making out with Kai, in your room, to know. He came around before dinner," Eris replied lazily as she waved off my comment. I blushed at her comment.

"So can I continue now? Okay good. As I was saying, Tamayo and Tala got together followed shortly by Mariah and Ray getting hooked up," smiling slyly she added, "And finally I find you and loverboy, there, making out in _your_ bedroom. Love must be in the air."

Kai placed an arm around my shoulder as everyone listened in on the conversation.

"Kai has a _girlfriend_ before _me_!" Tyson exclaimed loudly as everyone listened, stupified by the news, except for the group mentioned plus Eris and Toji.

"Why do you find that so startling?" Kai asked casually as he squeezed my shoulders warmly.

_'Who knew Kai could be so…affectionate? He's never been this open.'_

**/It's your influence on him, little one. How can anyone help but love you/ **Esilé teased.

"Con…Congratulations," Emily said faintly in her state of mental shock. I guess they weren't used to Kai being so touchy-feely. Kai smirked at their gaping faces, kissing me lightly on the cheek. As if they've bashed on the head, they blushed before turning away.

"Hiwatari, if you start making out with Reine, don't do it in front of us," Johnny said gruffly before turning back to the conversation flowing at his table.

Dinner was uneventful, if you don't count Eris' announcement. Trying to stifle a yawn, which failed miserably, Kai kissed me on the temple before murmuring, "Get to bed. It's late. We'll be leaving early to go skiing tomorrow."

"Night Kai," I whispered as I kissed him back before heading up to the third floor with the rest of the girls. Once we were all safely locked in, Mariah rounded onto me before demanding with a loud voice, "Why didn't tell me you and Kai hooked up?"

"Because I didn't know until he declared that I was his girlfriend," I muttered sleepily while I threw her a sheepish look, "Now if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go to bed. Night everyone."

I grabbed my toothbrush before running into the bathroom to complete my after dinner teeth ritual. Gargling the Listerine one last time, I made my way out of the bathroom and locked myself into my bedroom. I pulled back the warm comforter before snuggling inside and sighing contently. Today turned out better than I thought it would. My eyes drooped tiredly before closing me entirely in a world of darkness. In my mind's eye, I saw Esilé crooning softly as she drifted off into a restive state, remaining semiconscious if something were to happen.

* * *

_**Dream**_

Snow was falling around me as I stared into the gray horizon. I noticed a large shape lumbering out of the forest. Squinting my eyes against the harsh wind, I felt the snow starting to gather around my ankles. I barely noticed that my glasses had fallen.

_'I should get contacts,'_ I mused briefly before snapping my attention to the approaching figure. Stepping out from the blizzard was a humongous elk. It brayed loudly before a deep voice entered my head, causing a huge migraine to erupt.

**/Young one. The gods have sent you to aid me in my quest to find the one. You have a precious connection to my partner and I need you to bring whoever it is to me./**

As his thunderous voice disappeared from my mind, I heard Esilé hiss threatening at the giant beast.

_'It can't be, can it? Is that another Ancient?'_

**/You can call me Kael, the mighty warrior and servant of Herne. Tell the chosen one that I'm near and waiting./**

With one last bray, he galloped back into the blizzard as I stood stunned.

"Kael. Why would he choose me to pass on his message?"

**/I do not know little one. We will have to see/** Esilé said soothingly as she stared after the other Ancient curiously.

* * *

I woke with a start as the early dawn's rays peered down at me. Panting slightly, I held my head as I remembered my dream. 

"Kael," I whispered, "who are you searching for?"

Shaking my head to rid it of a hanging migraine, I lumbered to my suitcase before digging out a pair of black cargo pants and maroon top along with a gray windbreaker. I like my dark colors. Changing into my set of clothes, I headed out of the room and into the kitchen to prepare my breakfast and possibly everyone else's.

"Morning Reine," I heard someone say shyly. Turning to peer at the owner of the voice, I smiled as I saw it was Mathilda.

"Morning Mathilda. Sleep well?"

She nodded quietly as she sipped her coffee. I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Aren't you a bit young to be drinking coffee?" I asked skeptically, "It stunts your growth."

She laughed humorously at my comment.

"I need my caffeine to get going in the morning. I may look young but I am 13."

"Thirteen is young," I repeated stubbornly as I poured myself a small cup of coffee. Mathilda only shrugged before turning back to her coffee. I dug through the freezer and ended up with a package of waffles. Popping two into the toaster, I grabbed a plate and waited for them to pop back up. I dug through the fridge and emerged with a cup of orange juice. I quickly finished the remainder of my coffee with one last gulp. I felt the caffeine kick in.

"Juice?" I asked poured it carefully.

"No thanks. I only drink coffee in the morning," Mathilda replied as she took another gulp. Shaking my head at the stubborn girl, I poured myself half a glass before putting it back. A small click informed me that my breakfast was ready. Grabbing both waffles, I dumped them onto my plate hurriedly, careful not to burn my fingers. I sat took my seat across the table from Mathilda as I bit carefully into a steaming waffle. Finishing breakfast in silence, I savored the tranquility before the other four woke up. A soft knocking on the door of our suite alerted me to visitors.

"I'll check that out," I muttered to Mathilda as she prepared to get it. She nodded thankfully at me before zoning out again into her coffee haven. I stood up fluidly before walking briskly and opened the door.

"Morning sunshine," Kai drawled as he gave me a quick peck on the lips. I smiled softly at him as I deepened the kiss. As we were about to makeout in the middle of the doorway, a voice growled, "Do you mind doing that somewhere _private_?"

I broke away from Kai, despite his growl of protest, and peered behind him at an annoyed Tala. His eyes were bloodshot. He apparently had no sleep as one of Tyson's roommates. I snickered quietly at his disheveled appearance. His red hair was sticking up in absurd angles and his clothes looked as if they were hastily thrown on.

"Why don't you come in?" I asked humorously, "You can sleep on the couch or in Tamayo's bedroom, as long as you promise not to be naughty."

I smirked at his reply as he growled menacingly at me.

"Valcov," Kai warned in a deadly voice. Tala mumbled a quick apology before heading towards Tamayo's room. I rose an eyebrow at this.

"How did he know where her room is?"

"I don't know. You ask him yourself later, after we're done," Kai answered as he leaned back and put us in a liplock. As we broke away panting, I murmured, "It's too early in the morning for this you know."

"It's never too early," he answered as he straightened himself.

"Come on in then. It's no good for you to stand out in the hall all by yourself, unless you want to, of course."

He flicked my nose lightly as he walked past and settled in a chair in the kitchen. He greeted Mathilda causing her to snap out of her coffee induced state. Muttering a brief greeting, she turned back to her caffeine. Shaking my head at the pink-haired girl, I mumbled, "She's a lost cause. She's addicted to the stuff."

I returned to my seat and faced Kai.

"I had a strange dream last night," I started, gazing into my cup of orange liquid.

"Oh," Kai muttered, raising an eyebrow, "Did it having something to do with us?"

I glared at his suggestiveness. I'll never get used to this Kai. He's so _forward_. Maybe I like the cold and aloof Kai better…nah.

"No," I said coldly as I shot him a serious look. He immediately sobered up noticing that whatever I had to say was important.

"An Ancient contacted me last night," I said softly as I swished the liquid in my cup absently before taking a small sip.

"An Ancient? You mean one besides Clytem and Esilé?" he asked interestedly, his eyes sharp.

"Yes," I answered as I took another sip, "He was a humongous deer or elk of some kind. I don't think it's an existing species. He said that he was Kael, the warrior and servant of Herne."

"That's strange," Kai stated as he thought about what I just said, "A warrior and servant of Herne in Switzerland?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of Kael or Herne. I don't think it's all that surprising. Ancients are bitbeasts and they can go wherever they please. He said that he contacted me because I was close with his partner, whoever it is."

"How could he know that you're close to his partner?" Kai asked.

"I don't know. It's how bitbeasts are. I guess my bitbeast registers more than a regular one's. He probably can pick up on Esilé's easier than his partners, considering how weak human auras are."

"Hmm," Kai mumbled as he thought about what I've just said.

"Most likely this Kael is in Switzerland somewhere nearby," he finally observed, "What I'm intrigued about is that he would travel all the way from Ireland to Switzerland just to communicate with you."

"Ireland? How'd you deduce that?" I asked Kai, surprised how he pulled the country from thin air.

"Herne. You said he called himself a warrior and servant of Herne. Herne is the God of the Hunt in Ireland. What you described must be a Megaloceros, an extinct species of elk. They are big beyond belief but seeing that this one is an Ancient, it must've been bigger than a regular one."

"Megaloceros. What you say does make sense, but how do you propose we find his partner?"

"We have four days to figure it out. We'll be fine. If what I assume is correct, Kael will resonate with his partner if they are close enough. When we're there, we simply have to find him or call him."

"I hope you're right," I said quietly as I finished the last of my orange juice, "Well, let's wake the others and hit the slopes. It's already nine. If they sleep any later, the fresh slopes will be slushy."

He smirked at me.

"Do you or do you want me to wake up the lovebirds?"

"We'll do it together," I answered with a matching smirk, "Mathilda, can you wake Eris, Mariah, and Hilary? Kai and I are going to wake Tamayo up."

"Uh huh, sure," Mathilda said absently as she got up and walked off.

"Do you want to do the honors or should I?" Kai asked.

"I've got the Polaroid camera," I answered as I emerged from my room, a grin almost breaking my face in half.

"One, two, three!"

Slamming open her door with a loud 'bang' I started to take picture after picture.

"KAI!"

"REINE!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm back after a brief hiatus. :D I noticed my chapter getting shorter than usual and I hope you guys aren't bothered. D: Sorry. Well, on a good note, I hope you guys didn't miss me too much. x3 I hope this chapter satiates you hungry readers out there. I know Kai is acting a little OOC but don't you act OOC whenever you fall in love? xD Poor Tala and Tamayo.

What is the deal with Kael? If you want to know, wait for my next update:P –cackles maniacally–

**fruit salad2 – You're welcome for the shout out. :D I love my readers whether they review or not. xD**

**Ms. Controversy – I thought I better feed you guys a good chapter for my 4 day absence or I'll be minced meat. xD Thanks for pointing out my French mistake. Do you know the correct translation for "it's okay"? I used babble fish and that's what it gave to me. /**

**soldier4Christ – Thanks for the much needed info! You're a lifesaver! I knew Kai's birthday was on August 2nd but I never knew of Roberts. :D –huggles you–**

I've hit 900! Whoot! Thanks everyone:3

I would like to thank all my cool readers! I don't hate you if you don't review but it would be nice. xD –goads you to reviewing– I would like to thank **whyamidoingthis01**, **fruit salad2**, **soldeir4Christ**, **Ms. Controversy**, **ReiKai101**, and last but not least **DaCow Takao** for the reviews! I LOVE you guys! xP

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	15. Hitting the Slopes

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got one pairing worked out and the drama is on its way. xD I'm still work the rest. If you want to find out, just keep reading. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 15 – Hitting the Slopes**

**Somewhere Unknown**

"Sir, they've arrived in Switzerland."

"Good."

An outline of a man leaned forward and clasped his hands on a hardwood desk.

"So the games begin," he said with an unfathomable glint in his eyes, "Have the men been dispatched?"

"Yes sir. They should be arriving at their inn about now."

"Very well, you're dismissed."

The informant bowed before stalking towards the door. The mechanical device opened with a soft 'whoosh' before closing softly after his retreating back. As soon as the man was sure no one was around, a malicious smirk tilted his lips.

"You shouldn't have made such a bold appearance and now you will pay."

He started to laugh maniacally as he stared down sadistically at a photograph lying on his desk.

"Soon they will all be ours."

* * *

**Normal POV**

Tamayo glared angrily at Reine as she reached for the photos Reine held above her head.

"What? Can't reach?" Reine taunted as Tamayo stretched once more for the photos, "These will be good blackmail material."

Tamayo gritted her teeth in frustration as she hissed, "Give them to me, Tanaka."

Reine appeared to be thought before she smirked and darted out the door. Her voice floated back as Tamayo stewed in her rage.

"You'll have to come and get them _if_ you can!"

"TANAKA!"

With a shout, Tamayo tore after the laughing athlete.

"You know, your girlfriend will never catch mine. She's faster than both of us and that midget of yours can't even keep up with you for 30 seconds," Kai commented as his eyes danced in amusement at the unfolding scene.

"Don't think for a second my girlfriend is the only one who wants revenge," Tala remarked coldly as he turned his gaze to a nonchalant Kai, "You're making me want to hurt you even more for your recent comment."

"What? Does the truth hurt that much?" Kai baited the infuriated Tala, "Besides, you can never hurt me regardless of how hard you try."

"We'll see about that, Hiwatari," Tala said murderously as he lunged at the dual-haired blader. Kai casually side-stepped him causing him to trip over the bed and flop harmlessly onto the feather mattress.

"Oh I'm so hurt. Please stop Tala," Kai mocked before he cackled and ran out of the room.

"He's so dead," Tala muttered as he stood up and yawned loudly, "I wish he hadn't interrupt my sleep." **(AN: Pft! Yeah right. More like makeout session. xD)**

Walking into the living room he caught sight of Reine standing on one of the many couches holding the photos out of Tamayo's reach as she shouted and cursed the silver-haired girl.

"Like I said, _midget_."

Turning to his right, he saw Kai learning against the wall and watching the scene with clear amusement.

"Hiwatari," Tala growled as he massaged the bridge of his nose, "I'm too tired to deal with you today. Just wait, I'll get you when you least expect it."

"Right Valcov, I'll be waiting," he drawled as he smirked at the exhausted redhead, "That's after you kill Max for giving you the dare."

"True," Tala mumbled grudgingly as he flopped on another couch and closed his eyes in what he hoped to be a few more minutes of shuteye.

"What's going on here?" a sleepy voice asked as a rumpled Mariah emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes as she yawned widely.

"Blackmail," Reine replied shortly as Tamayo hopped up and down, trying to snatch the photos, still cursing the existence of a certain blader.

"Oh," she replied shortly as she headed into the bathroom.

"Did I miss much?" Eris asked as she emerged fully awake and dress from her room.

"Nope, just blackmail stuff," Reine replied nonchalantly as she kept an eye on her short, fuming redhead friend.

"Just don't let her kill you. I don't want to explain that to mom," Eris answered as she disappeared into the kitchen to prepare her breakfast.

"Kai, what are you doing here?" Hilary asked as she followed Mathilda out into the sitting room, "And what's up with Reine and Tamayo?"

"Blackmail," he grunted shortly. Hilary rolled her eyes mumbling something that sounded along the lines of "childish pranks" before walking into the kitchen like Eris did only a few moments earlier. The sound of someone rapping the door alerted the group of guests.

"Must be the guys," Hilary commented as her head popped out of the kitchen, "Will someone get the door? My hands are full."

Kai shrugged as he strode forward and opened the door abruptly.

"Yo!" Tyson called as he saluted his captain before it registered who exactly it was that opened the door to a _girls'_ suite. A surprised expression replaced the previous, jovial one as he asked, "What are you doing here, Kai?"

Kai had to restrain himself from whacking the stupid boy.

"I'm here to see my _girlfriend_," he answered shortly as he allowed the group at the door to enter. Max and Ray greeted him as they slipped past followed shortly by Miguel. Kai cocked an eyebrow as the blonde walked past him.

"Looks like someone has an admirer," he muttered to himself.

"Are you okay, Kai? You're talking to yourself," Tyson pointed out. A cold glare on Kai's part caused the bluenette to scuttle inside.

Half an hour later, the group was ready to go. Mathilda was annoyingly cheerful after her caffeine boost and was currently bantering amiably with a calm Miguel. Tamayo had given up trying to get the photos back after Reine hid them somewhere in her room. Tala was napping comfortably with his head on the said redhead's lap, looking extremely content and happy. Hilary and Tyson were bickering in the kitchen over the usual topic, food. Mariah, Ray, and Max were sitting off to the side watching the couple with amused expressions while Kai and Reine sat quietly in the corner, whispering conspiratorially. Glancing at her watch, Reine determined that it was now or never.

"We need to hit the slopes. The snow will get slushy if we don't hurry."

A few grumbles came out of several irritated members before the group picked itself up and grabbed whatever necessities they needed before ambling out of the inn towards the skiing and snowboarding rental shop. A gentle clinking alerted the shopkeeper of their arrival. The lady smiled welcomingly as she hurried up to them.

"How may I help you?" she asked sweetly, eyeing several members of the group. Reine raised an eyebrow at her giddiness when she spotted Kai.

"She is some sort of pedophile?" she whispered to Kai who was standing boredly beside her, staring coldly at the lady in front of them.

"It's always like this. The only place where the people didn't worship the ground we're standing on is Bakuten," he drawled lazily, discreetly putting an arm around Reine's shoulder, silently relaying that he was taken. The lady looked disappointed for a moment before her eyes wandered to the rest of the group. Her face lit up into another bright smile as she caught more famous bladers. Reine rolled her eyes in disgust at her behavior.

"You would think she died and went to heaven with her behavior," Tamayo observed as she leaned into Tala's shoulder. He nuzzled her hair, nodding absently.

"Well, follow me and choose your equipment for the day. Remember, all the equipment should be returned to the store by 6 p.m.," the shopkeeper finished as she gave them all a toothy smile.

"Thanks," Kai grunted as he led the group towards the back of the shop where all the skiing equipment was being held.

"She finally stopped talking," Tyson muttered gratefully as he reached for a pair of poles, "She talks almost as much as Hilary."

A loud thwack broke the silence as Hilary smacked the back of Tyson's head.

"Tyson! That was rude!"

"But it's true," Tyson whined as Hilary continued to lecture him on being polite to others. Grabbing a pair of crimson skis, Kai waited as Reine emerged with a pair of gray ones.

"We need goggle too, right?" she asked uncertainly as she examined the goggle rack. **(AN: I have no clue what you're really supposed to do for skiing. I'm just making this up as from some movies and books I've read. If I make any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll correct them. :D Thanks!)**

"For safety reasons, yeah," Kai answered as he grabbed a pair of navy goggles, slinging them casually around his neck.

"Hurry up!" he barked as he waited for everyone else to finish choosing, "We still have to choose ski partners!"

Tamayo and Tala shared a look, obviously deciding to be partners. Reine automatically gravitated towards Kai. Mariah snuggled up next to Ray as he finished choosing his gear. Tyson scratched the back of his head and was about to ask Max to be his partner when Hilary grabbed his ear and dragged him with her muttering something about "babysitting you because of your lack of manners." Max sweatdropped and turned towards a partnerless Eris. Shrugging at each other, they decided that since they're the only ones left, it can't hurt to be partners. Ten minutes later, everyone was set and ready to ski.

"We'll meet back here at 12:30 for lunch. It's currently 9:30 so that leaves you 2 hours to ski. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the lift from here. If there is any trouble, find the nearest person and get help. I don't care how small the situation is, report it; it's essential to get immediate attention before something worse happens. Any questions?"

The group remained silent after Kai's speech, some shook their head while others looked on boredly. With a sigh, Kai dismissed the group.

"Do you want to hit the bunny slopes or something harder?" Reine asked as they plodded their way to the nearest lift.

"Intermediate to warm up," he replied shortly as they each grabbed a seat.

"Sounds good to me," Reine mumbled as she snuggled into his warmth, savoring each minute they got to spend together.

* * *

**An Hour and Half Later**

Max slid down the slop with expert ease followed shortly by Eris.

"Can't catch up with me!" he shouted over the whistling of the wind. Eris smirked as she picked up speed. As they exited a particularly hilly area, they spotted Toji and Brooklyn skiing ahead. Leaning forward, they picked up speed until they caught up with the duo.

"What's up?" Max yelled as he greeted the pair and saluted them. Toji smirked in return, his hair whipping around his goggles.

"Nothing! The slopes' are good!" Toji screamed back as he gave them a thumbs up.

"Did you see anyone else here?" Eris shouted, carefully maneuvering around a rock sticking out of the frozen ground.

"I thought I saw Garland and Mystel a while back," Brooklyn answered calmly as he glided on the ice-covered ground gracefully, "They might've taken a different turn and ended up on the other side of the hill."

Nodding to show she heard him, she veered off to the side to avoid a patch of trees. As Eris traveled along, she noticed that the trees weren't thinning and that she's skiing by herself on a completely different path.

"Max? Toji? Brooklyn?" she called around frantically. A sudden rumble alerted her to an incoming storm. Glancing quickly down at her watch, she saw she had half an hour to get back to the lifts.

"Shit," she cursed softly as she prepared to stop and ski back the way she had come. Preparing to set off, she accidentally slipped on a particularly icy patch on the ground causing her to fall with a soft thud. Suddenly a loud roar filled her ears as she sat up. Turning around quickly, she spotted an avalanche headed straight for her. She paled in fear as the mass of snow, ice, rocks, trees, and other sorts of debris hurtled down towards her at alarming speeds.

"Oh god, I'm going to die," she whispered to herself as she sat paralyzed in fear. She squeezed her eyes closed just as the white mass was about to hit her. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes a crack to see what happened. Her eyes shot open as she gaped at what she saw. Standing before her was a magnificent snow leopard, its tawny eyes glowing as it shifted the snow slide around her trembling figure. Five minutes later, the trembling stopped as the destructive force of nature quieted itself. Slowly, the awe-inspiring beast turned around and gazed at Eris with its intelligent eyes.

**/Are you alright, little one/** it asked softly, its purring voice filling her head. Eris nodded dumbly as the cat stalked up to her, its pure white fur rustling in the cooling air.

"Eris!" she heard someone call from behind. She twisted her body so it was facing forward and saw Toji skiing towards her.

**/You're safe now/ **its purring voice filled her head once more before it turned and disappeared into thin air. She managed to turn quick enough to catch a glimpse of the large cat before it disappeared completely.

"Eris, are you alright?"

She snapped her attention back to Toji, who was standing worriedly in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered faintly as she accepted his helping hand, pulling herself up.

"So what was that just now? You weren't with us when I turned to ask you a question so I came to look for you only to find you sitting in the middle of a destroyed clearing."

"There was an avalanche," she muttered as she dusted off her pants before starring into Toji's worried eyes, "but the leopard saved me," she finished.

"You mean that snow leopard I just saw?" he questioned, looking around hoping to catch another glimpse.

"Yeah, that one."

Pausing slightly, she licked her lips before adding hesitantly, "I think it was a bitbeast. Its eyes were glowing as it parted the snow slide as if it was nothing."

"Bitbeast?" Toji asked, surprised. Eris nodded to confirm his statement. He looked thoughtful.

"I guess you'll have to learn to beyblade after all."

Sighing lightly, Eris mumbled, "I guess so. I'll ask Reine when we get back."

Turning to head towards the way Toji had come, she paused as she stared as she caught of something in the snow a few yards away.

"What's this?" she asked as she slid over. Peering closer, she noticed it was a trail of hoof prints that hadn't been disturbed by the avalanche. It seemed to be fresh.

"Hey Toji! Come take a look at this."

Toji peered at the track closely.

"Hey, aren't those elk tracks? What are they doing all the way up here?" he asked curiously as he peered closer. A loud rumbling alerted the duo to the approaching storm.

"We better head back," Eris said with a loud sigh, placing one pole confidently into the slush-covered ground only to strike something wooden.

"What's this?" she asked as she bent down to pick it up. It turned out to be a beautifully carved leopard totem.

"It's beautiful," she breathed as she pocketed it, getting a feeling that she shouldn't loose it, "Come on, Toji. Let's go."

Turning, the duo skied quickly up the trail and onto the main slope, going at breakneck speeds to catch up with Brooklyn and Max.

"Promise me something," Eris said as they neared the pair, "Don't tell them about the avalanche. I don't want them to worry, especially Kai."

Toji looked at her curiously as he promised. He silently added that he would he would tell if it was necessary. For some reason, the event seemed to be out of the ordinary to him as if something supernatural had occurred

* * *

**Somewhere Unknown**

"Sorry sir, we were unable to catch it. It started an avalanche when the team closed in on it. We believe that whatever it's searching for is in Switzerland somewhere."

"You are a bunch of incompetent fools!" a voice snarled, "We've been tracking him for months now! You just ruined one of the few chances to capture him! Make sure you don't make the same mistake again or it'll be your life."

The messenger gulped nervously before answering in a shaky voice, "Y-yes s-sir. We won't f-fail again, s-sir!"

Saluting one last time, the messenger scurried out of the room. As the door closed with a silent 'whoosh', the man stared at the manila folder on his desk.

"Is it one of them?" he asked softly before laughing brusquely, "Interesting. They're all coming together for me. How wonderful."

He smirked into the dark as he schemed about the ways he can retrieve them.

"Soon, my dear, they will be all yours to consume."

A loud screech filled the room as a black shadow with burning, crimson eyes filled the room, its presence filling the room with searing heat and utter darkness. Its gaze leered at a photograph on the desk.

**/Yes, soon. I will not tolerate anymore failures./**

"Of course," the man purred as he stroked the beast's harsh plumage, "They will all be yours to do whatever you wish."

The beast screeched in pleasure as its bloodlust-misted eyes seared into the wall, imagining the power it will soon have.

**/The curse shall be fulfilled/** it hissed on last time before retreating back into its confines. The man chuckled at the beast's antics, "And I will finally get what I want."

* * *

The group sat together at lunch and enjoyed Hilary's homemade sandwiched in silence. Reine stretched languidly she finished eating, relishing the aftereffects of her morning activity. She yawned tiredly as she felt her body complained about being active at such an hour. 

"I guess I'm not fully adjusted to the jetlag yet," she mumbled to herself as she slouched in her seat.

"If you're tired, go take a nap," Kai advised as he gently massaged her shoulders. She groaned in pleasure as she felt the tension leaving her body. She smiled softly at Kai.

"I'd like that."

Standing up, Reine announced her departure before heading for the elevator. The trip upstairs was quick and Reine soon found herself slowly sliding the cardkey through the lock. With a soft 'click' the door opened. She stepped inside only to gasp in horror seeing the damage.

"Oh my god," she breathed in surprise at the carnage before her, "Who would do this? No one had a key to our room except for the six of us and none of us were here."

"What's wrong?" she heard a masculine voice ask from behind. She leaned into Kai's warmth as he stepped inside.

"What the hell! What happened?" he demanded as soon as he saw the state the suite was in.

"I don't know," she answered faintly as she clutched Kai's hand, "It was like this when I walked in."

"Is anything missing?" he asked sharply as he walked deeper into the destroyed sitting room. Several couches were overturned while some had their stuffing ripped out. The lamps were on their side with their bulbs completely shattered, littering the ground with sharp pieces of glass.

"Careful Kai," Reine warned as she made her way towards the bedrooms. Peering into the rooms confirmed her suspicions. They were as ravaged as the rest of the suite. The mattresses were completely gutted and their luggage was tossed everywhere. Clothes were ripped apart and laid in piles on the carpeted floor. It looked like a war zone.

"Why would anyone do this?" she whispered to herself as she searched through her room for any missing stuff, "Thank god I thought to take my blades with me."

"Missing anything?" Kai asked as he popped his head into the mess that used to be a bedroom.

"Not that I know of," she replied as she dug through some of the mattress stuffing, "Whoever was here was after something specific."

"I figured as much," Kai muttered as he went back out, "I'm going to go downstairs and inform the others. We'll have everyone check to see if this happened to everyone else."

Reine nodded as she started to search in another corner of her room. Five minutes later the five other girls were digging through their rooms as well, searching to see if anything was taken. Apparently their suite was the only one that was attacked. After half an hour, the bladers met in Ian, Spencer, and Bryan's suite to discuss the sudden attack.

"What we can conclude was that the attack was definitely planned and they were after something specific. Any ideas what they were after?" Reine asked seriously, eyeing every member in the room.

"Could it be money?" Enrique called from his spot in a plush chair. Reine shook her head.

"No, it can't be money because none were taken from our wallets."

The room fell silent to contemplate the situation. After a while, Kenny ventured to say what had been on everyone's minds.

"Maybe they're after our bitbeasts?"

The room remained silent as his statement rang in the air. After a slight pause, Reine spoke up again.

"Could be, but why weren't anyone else's suite attacked? Are they after a specific one? If they are, then who's?"

"What bitbeast do we have that's special enough to be targeted in that suite?" Tyson asked loudly, scratching his head in confusion as he tried to remember.

"No has ever been after Pierce Hedgehog," Mathilda piped up, "I don't think they were after me."

"I don't even have one of the bitbeast thingies," Hilary added.

"Galux was never targeted before. It had always been Driger, Dranzer, Dragoon, and Draciel," Mariah said thoughtfully. The owners of the four bitbeasts nodded.

"That leaves Eris, Tamayo, and Reine, but Eris doesn't even know how to beyblade so that eliminates her," Robert pointed out. The group stared at the redhead and silver-haired girls.

"Ciatra isn't anything special. Sure, she's the queen of the woodlands and powerful to boot, but I don't think she's what they're after."

Everyone's gaze turned to Reine as she shifted uncomfortably.

"That leaves Esilé," Reine concluded, sighing in tiredness, "She's an Ancient so that's got to rack up some bonus points, but the new question is why and how."

"What do you mean 'why and how'?" Johnny asked grumpily as his violet gaze pierced the quiet girl.

"No one has showed any interest in Ancients before, if that's what they're after that is, and I've never used her except for the Bakuten Citywide Tournament, so how could they have found out about her?"

"Whoever is after her must've been there or heard about it," Kai said quietly.

"Must've been those rogue bladers since the Skullz member was arrested," Eris pointed out.

"That's a possibility but there might've been more Skullz members in the stands," Kane retaliated. Reine sighed.

"I guess it's too early to say what they're after and who they are, but while we're on the topic of Ancients, I need to tell you all something."

The group shuffled as they made themselves comfortable. Squishing fifty-something members into one room isn't exactly easy. Taking a deep breath, Reine started.

"I had a dream last night. It was a communication of some sort. I was confronted by a new Ancient. It's apparently a loose spirit since it claimed to look for its partner."

The group remained silent as they waited for her continue. She quickly scanned the crowd.

"He called himself Kael, a warrior and servant of Herne, the God of Hunt. He is a Megaloceros, or what you would know as an extinct species of gigantic elk that used to inhabit Ireland. He said he made his way here because he feels his partner is near. He claimed I'm close to whoever it is, but it might just be a fluke and he only locked onto Esilé's aura is since it is easier to lock onto another Ancient's rather than a human's."

"There is a possibility that whoever it is might be in this very room," Reine finished slowly, her eyes resting on an uncomfortable Eris and a harried Toji, "Well? Any ideas?"

"Most of us have bitbeasts," Miguel pointed out as he looked around the room carefully, "but there are your friends. Two of them are bitbeastless."

"If it is one of them, which one will it be?" Oliver asked, his brow furrowed in concentration. Toji discreetly nudged Eris' side.

"We should tell them about the avalanche. This stuff sounds serious and that tracks we saw earlier might help."

Eris shuffled guiltily as she tried to decide between getting flayed alive by Kai's words or giving the group a possible lead. Grumbling silently to herself, she decided on the latter.

"I'll confess," she told him out of the corner of her mouth. Toji's lips twitched as it formed into a smile as he nodded in approval. Breathing deeply, Eris stood up.

"I have a confession to make," she said to the quiet room.

"Oh?" Reine asked as she cocked an eyebrow at her twin, "Feel free to fill us in on what you've been keeping from us."

Eris shifted guiltily before continuing.

"I was caught in an avalanche earlier..."

A bunch of loud gasps filled the room at her statement. Reine looked expectantly at her twin, silently urging her to continue.

"…but I was saved by a bitbeast."

"Was it the Ancient?" Kenny asked eagerly, typing furiously on his keyboard, trying to the story for future reference and later examination.

"I don't know," Eris confessed, "It was snow leopard. I had separated from my skiing partner, somehow, and ended up on a separate trail. Then the avalanche happened and the snow leopard appeared out of the blue and split the wave of snow and debris, as if it was nothing, preventing it from crushing me. Toji arrived then and it disappeared."

Eris decided to leave the totem out of her discussion. It felt private and she had a feeling that it's one of those things that are best left unsaid. It could come in handy in the future.

"Just after I finished explaining what just happened to Toji, I caught sight of a trail in the snow. It looked fairly recent, made no more between half an hour to an hour ago. The prints looked like those made by a humongous elk. We weren't sure it was a native species or not so we left it."

She sat down as silence reigned in the room.

"Why didn't you tell us you were stuck in an avalanche?" Kai asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest.

"I didn't think it was important," Eris argued, "I'm not hurt, am I?"

"No, but you could've been. We should report the avalanche to the ground patrollers so no one else will get hurt," Reine answered. Eris chose not to reply as she learned her head on Toji's shoulder.

"Do you think those tracks have something to do with this Kael?" Toji ventured to ask, his eyes troubled.

"Perhaps," Reine answered quietly, "We'll just have to wait and see."

"The avalanche," Emily started slowly, "Do you think Kael could've caused it? He was there recently so he might've been nearby still."

The group fell into silence as they tried to figure out the complicated puzzle.

"Only time can tell. We'll just have to wait for more pieces to come to us," Reine said uncomfortably as she snuggled into Kai, seeking a little comfort.

"Wouldn't Kael have resonated to one of them if they were his partner?" Johnny suddenly asked.

"They should, but there are certain circumstances where they won't," Tala answered, frowning slightly.

"Like what?" Kane asked curiously.

"When they're being attacked, hurt, or too weak," Ozuma answered. The group looked at him in surprise. Even though he was a bitbeast expert, he hadn't said a word throughout the discussion.

"Finally decided to join us?" Ian drawled as he eyed him distastefully.

"The people of our tribe were once the guardians of an ancient temple dedicated to Ancients but after the Great Burning, the temple was destroyed and turned into a Roman mausoleum and we were forced to move out. Back then and even now, Ancients are one of the most powerful beings. It would be catastrophic if they fall into the wrong hands," Ozuma answered, his eyes darkening as he thought of the possibilities, "If our suspicions about Eris and Toji are correct, he might've not resonated because he was under attack. As Emily pointed out earlier, Kael might've caused the avalanche during the struggle in self defense. If this is all true, then it confirms our earlier suspicions. Someone _is_ after the Ancients and they're willing to use force to get them."

A grim silence fell on the group.

"If what we've theorized are correct, who could be behind these attacks?"

* * *

**Somewhere Unknown**

"So that's how it is."

The man grinned widely at the new photos in his possession.

"It appears that we will kill two birds with one stone. Revenge is sweet."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the wait for this chapter. I feel really forced right now and I think I'll take more time to update. Dx My writing is really crappy in this chapter. I'm sorry for all my readers. I'm out of it. –bangs head against wall– The good news is I've uploaded a picture of Reine for you guys to see for reaching my 1k hits! I know there was one before, but I changed her character design a little bit. She's in her gym uniform and it's really baggy. Reine loves her baggy clothes! xD If you're wondering about Tamayo and Toji, I've also done their pictures but they are crappier than my crappy picture of Reine. X.x There's a link on my profile and I'll upload a picture of Esilé soon, I hope, but it will probably show only one of her heads seeing that they are pretty much the same.

I'll be updating "**A Fork in the Road**" before I come back to this fic. I know I'm being really mean by making you guys wait for chapters, but I can't help having a miniature writer's block. I would write but I don't like my writing right now. It's boring and tedious. –sighs–

Hooray! I have reached over 60 reviews and 1,000 hits! Thank you! The Reine picture is a treat for you wonderful readers. ;D (As I said above) I hope you guys enjoy.

I would like to thank **DaCow Takao**, **soldier4Christ**, **Crownowa**,** Sweet-Plum**,** Ms. Controversy, AnimeCrazy88, **and last but not least** xAvenirYuinax **for reviewing! Thank you!

I would like to send out a special thanks to **xAvenirYuinax** for getting me some information I needed. :D I want you to know you're incredible and I'm forever in your debt.

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	16. Trouble in Paradise

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got some pairing worked out and only a couple are left pending. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/

* * *

**

**Chapter 16 – Trouble in Paradise**

**Reine's POV**

I sighed wearily as I stared out the window, my breath fogging the cold glass. The scenery was bleary and white as the ground whipped past.

"Is something bothering you?" I heard Kai ask as he brushed a strand of hair from my eyes.

"No, not really," I breathed as I continued to peer out the window at the darkening sky, "I'm just wondering if something will happen."

"Nothing going to happen," he said soothingly as he softly traced circles on my back.

_'Whenever someone says that, something is bound to happen,'_ I thought grimly as I rested my warm forehead against the bus pane, relishing in the cold seeping from the glass. The rest of our ski trip had been uneventful after the sudden attack. The slope where the avalanche occurred was roped off for the rest of the skiing season until the officials deemed it safe once more. I haven't heard from Kael since the dream, but I still have my suspicions.

_'Here we come, Bern.'_

The hour long ride passed slowly. I yawned quietly as I peered around boredly. Kai slept soundly on bus seats, his head on my lap and his feet propped on the seat across the aisle. Tala and Tamayo sat in the row before us, the latter with her head resting on the former's shoulder. Eris and Toji sat across the aisle from them, talking quietly among themselves. Ozuma sat alone in the seat in front of Tamayo and Tala, staring out the window listlessly, his eyes misted as he lost himself in his thoughts.

_'He must be worried about this new threat. Clytem, Esilé, and Kael aren't safe and that's three ancients; that's a lot of power and responsibility. Imagine what would happen if all three fell into the wrong hands.'_

I snapped out of my thoughts as Kai shifted in his sleep, turning to face me and mumbling in his sleep. I smiled softly as I absently stroked his hair. The blue strands parted without protest as my fingers raked through them. He mumbled something incoherent into my shirt as he snuggled closer.

_'What a Kodak moment. I wish I had my Polaroid with me.'_

Suddenly remembering my Polaroid, I frowned as I tried to remember where I had left the pictures of Tamayo and Tala.

_'I hit them in the pocket of my blazer but I didn't find them when I packed it. Where can they be?'_

Racking my brains to remember where I left the stash of photos, it dawned on me.

_'The people who attacked and destroyed our suite wouldn't have taken them, would they? If they did, why would they need it?'_

I shifted uncomfortably as I thought through about the possibilities but gave up a few minutes later when nothing came to mind.

_'This is frustrating! I wish I had at least a clue about this mysterious group.'_

"Yo! Reine! We're here," Michael called as he walked down the aisle to the back of the bus. I nodded my thanks before proceeding to poke Kai in the side.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," I murmured as I continued to prod him. He grumbled angrily before reaching up and grabbing my hand and clutching it tightly.

"Kai," I warned as I glared at the dual-haired teen.

"Fine," he grunted as he sat up, never letting go of my hand.

"You know, I have to use that hand," I said amusedly as I shot him a lopsided grin.

"You're not going to use it now," he growled back as he tussled his hair with his free hand.

"It's amazing how good you look even with bed hair," I teased as leaned over and ruffled his hair, savoring the feel of the soft strands moving through my fingers.

"Reine," he grumbled warningly. Laughing, I conceded and pulled my hand out of his slack grasp.

"If you don't hurry, we'll be left behind by everyone else," I replied with a twinkle in my eyes and stood up before stepping over Kai's legs. He sighed as he stood up after me.

We trooped off the bus and stood in front of a massive hotel.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that thing!" Tyson shouted as he stared at the towering building in complete awe, shielding his eyes from the harsh glare of the morning sun reflecting on the numerous windows covering the 20 story hotel.

"I just hope the elevator won't malfunction and make us take the stairs," Tamayo said as she stood, slumped, with her sports bag slung over her shoulder.

"You can do with the exercise," Toji smirked, grinning wickedly at a pouting Tamayo, "God knows you can loose a couple of pounds."

"Hey! I resent that!" Tamayo fumed, glaring murderously at a smug Toji.

"You're fine the way you are," Tala said offhandedly, "Though I can agree with Toji there about your lack of exercise."

"So you're saying I'm fat," Tamayo said flatly.

"I never said that," Tala answered as he shifted his jacket a little.

"But you implied it," Tamayo concluded as she glared at her boyfriend. Tala shrugged.

"Take it as what you will," he finally said as I threw a disapproving look at him.

"Let's head inside," I suggested, aware of the brewing tension between the couple.

_'Tala better watch it. He's skating on thin ice.'_

"Whatever," Tamayo mumbled as she stalked through the glass doors and into the posh lobby. A couple of hotel lackeys approached us with trolleys and proceeded to store all our luggage. I told them our suite numbers before approaching the front desk requesting for our set of keys.

"Here are the keys to rooms 156, 167, 202, 203, 217, 223, 225, 231, and 236, miss. Have a great stay!"

I thanked her before grabbing the nine card keys and walking back to the groups.

"It seems that Mr. Dickenson didn't separate us into groups so we can choose. Apparently there are 6 rooms to a suite, like in Sunshine Inn, a lounge, and a single bathroom."

People shuffled to be near people they want to room with. When all chaos died, 9 different groups were formed. Obviously Tamayo, Tala, Reine, Kai, Toji, and Eris shared one room while Tyson, Max, Kenny, Hilary, Ray and Mariah shared another. Max had told a very relieved Tala that he can end the bet here because it's mission time and the vacation was over. Lee, Kevin, Gary, Steve, Crusher, and Daichi shared a suite leaving the Saint Shields to claimed one for themselves for privacy reason. The remaining Blitzkrieg Boys plus Garland and Rick took across the hall from them. Raul, Julia, King, Queen, Gordo, and Zeo claimed another. Claude, Mystel, Brooklyn, Enrique, Aaron, and Goki shared while Emily, Ming-Ming, Mathilda, Miguel, Kane, and Salima took the room beside theirs. Michael, Eddy, Oliver, Johnny, Robert, and Jim took the remaining suit.

Taking the card to room 167 for myself, I gave room 156 to Kenny, 202 to the Saint Shields, 203 to Garland, 223 to Brooklyn, 225 to Emily, 217 to Lee, 231 to Robert, and 236 to Gordo. Satisfied that everyone was distributed evenly, I shouted to be heard above everyone's conversations.

"Meet in room 167 after you are done packing! Durby will be here in 2 hours and we need to see who's going to pick him up!"

Grunts were heard as the groups headed towards the elevators.

"I'll take the stairs," I mumbled as I spied the long line. Kai grunted as he followed me to the red door marked "Stairs".

"You know you don't have to, right?" I asked I pushed it open. He sent me a piercing glare.

"I still have to get you back for winning those races," he pointed out. I smirked at him.

"Degrading, isn't it? Loosing to your girlfriend," I taunted.

"At least it's my girlfriend and not someone else," he answered, ruffling my hair.

"Whatever floats your boat," I answered sarcastically as I turned and walked into the small stairway. The dim lighting left an ominous atmosphere. I tensed slightly as I started up the stairs. With every step, my foot made a dull 'clang' as it hit the metal steps loudly. The sound echoed throughout the cavernous space, ricocheting off the stone walls and the ceiling. I looked up, grabbing the railing tightly as I grew woozy from seeing the continuous spiral of stairs and railing.

"You okay?" Kai asked softly as he placed a hand, gently, on my back, steadying me.

"Yeah, I just got a little dizzy there," I answered breathily as I unclenched my knuckles. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself before letting it out with a loud 'whoosh'.

"What floor are we on, again?" I asked after climbing the stairs for five minutes.

"Third," Kai grunted from behind, his footsteps echoing eerily in the thick silence. Nodding mutely, I stopped in front of a door marked "3rd Floor". Pushing it open, I walked into a luscious hall filled with soft, red carpet. The lamps let off a warm glow, giving the hallway a homely feeling. Glancing at the door on my right, I saw the number 197. Seeing that I'm on the right side of the hall, I glanced at the door at my left. The number 195 stared back at me. Turning to my left, I heard Kai follow me. Our footsteps were muffled by the thick carpet as it absorbed all the sound. A few minutes later, I found myself in front of the door to our suite. Swiping the card, I heard the door unlock with a small 'beep'.

Pushing open the mahogany wood, I entered a breathtaking room. The room wasn't too flashy or too drab. The walls were decorated with pale wallpaper. A short hall led to the lounge where there were six doors on both sides. Plush, red leather couches could be seen surrounding the blank plasma screen of the widescreen T.V. I ventured inside slowly, taking in my environment. I looked around in satisfaction. No wonder this was a five star hotel.

"I see you like the room," Kai muttered amusedly from behind me, "I take it that you haven't stayed in a hotel like this before."

I nodded as I walked to the first door. Turning the knob, I opened the door cautiously. Peering inside, I caught sight of a twin bed, a chest of drawers, and an oak wardrobe. The room was very spacious and comfy. I plopped myself onto the bed, bouncing slightly. I pushed down on the mattress.

"It's a feather mattress," I said with surprise.

"Of course it is," Kai stated as-a-matter-of-factly, taking a seat next to me causing the bed to sag slightly under his weight.

"So now you're a know-it-all," I teased as I flicked him on the nose. He smirked at me before leaning towards me, stopping when his nose was only a few millimeters away from mine.

"No, I'm _your_ know-it-all," he said breathily before leaning in and kissing me softly. I leaned into the kiss, deepening it as I ran my fingers through his locks of hair. Just as he was about to push me down, an abrupt shattered the silence. Quickly breaking apart, I straightened my outfit and hair before standing brusquely and answering the door.

"I'd forgotten about them," Kai said grumpily as he stood up and chose a room of his own.

_'Yeah,'_ I answered silently as I pulled open the door to our suite. An impatient Tamayo stood there, tapping her foot restlessly on the carpet.

"Took you long enough," she snapped before storming inside and randomly choosing a room before slamming the door shut behind her as she entered. My eyebrow rose at her behavior.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" I asked Eris and Toji. Peering around, I noticed a certain member of the group was missing, "And where's Tala? Isn't he supposed to be in our suite?"

Eris and Toji looked uncomfortably at each other.

"You see, Tala met an old friend in the elevator on our way up and ditched Tamayo to spend time with her," Eris explained.

"An old friend? Her?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe and staring curiously at the duo.

"Yeah," Toji muttered as he shuffled awkwardly. Realizing they're still outside, I stepped back and allowed them into the lounge. They arranged themselves into the lounge chairs before turning towards me wearily, eyeing Tamayo's closed door cautiously.

"Tala's friend is a girl," Eris finally said.

"I gathered that much when you said her," I muttered sarcastically as I took a seat in one of the loveseats near their couch, "What I want to know is how he 'ditched' her and who his friend was."

"It was when we managed to find an elevator that wasn't full. We had just gotten in when a girl rushed into the lobby and squeezed in, excusing herself. Tamayo was still in a huff about Tala calling her fat, you know how it is."

Eris sent me a piercing look, sending a silent message that I understood perfectly. Nodding for her continue, she plowed on.

"That's when Tala started to stare at her. Tamayo noticed, I think, and she didn't say anything. He seemed riveted by her. I mean, she was pretty. She was one of those tall, lithe, feminine girls. She had long, green hair and amethyst eyes, one of those girls that Tamayo will never be."

I felt a wave of unease when I heard about her.

_'There's just something that seems off, but why do I feel this way? It's nothing really.'_

I didn't believe myself for a minute. Usually when I had these feelings, they're right.

"It was when we reached the first floor before Tala said anything."

* * *

**_Flashback – Normal POV_**

"_Celine?"__Tala asked hesitantly as he peered closely at the tall girl. He barely noticed Tamayo shuffle stiffly beside him, her eyes becoming slightly vacant and distant._

_"Is that you?"_

_The amethyst-eyed girl and turned to regard Tala with wide eyes._

_"Tala…" she whispered as she caught sight of the flaming-haired Russian. With a loud squeal, she threw herself at the said teen, hugging him tightly in an intimate embrace. Drawing away, she asked breathlessly, "Where've you been? I haven't seen you since, you know."_

_Her eyes turned mysterious at the last sentence. Tala's eyes grew grave._

_"I've been…fine," he answered lightly as he eyed her lovingly, "How've you been? I haven't heard from you in years."_

_Tamayo watched the exchange silently, backing up slightly as she regarded the pair, who are currently talking in hushed tones. Eris eyed her friend worriedly._

_"You okay?" she asked softly as she watched her friend's emerald eyes flicker slightly._

_"Fine," Tamayo answered monotonously as she turned away and stared at the metal elevator walls. Deciding not to push it, Eris turned away and leaned against Toji slightly._

_"Do you want to go get a cup of coffee?" Tala asked. Every blader in the elevator turned to view the Russian in surprise. Tala's not the spontaneous type to ask someone to have coffee with him._

_"Sure," Celine replied shyly, "It'll be great."_

_As the elevator dinged, indicating that they were on the second floor, Tala stepped out with the mysterious stranger without a backward glance and headed towards the stairs to leave Tamayo staring after his retreating back. Brooklyn eyed her worriedly before moving back and putting an arm around her shoulders protectively. She sent him a weak smile before turning to stare at the elevator wall, again, stonily._

_A few minutes later the elevator stopped on the third floor. Tamayo was the first one out and was already down the hall as the other bladers stepped out._

_"You better keep an eye on her," Brooklyn told Eris and Toji as he followed Mystel to their suite, which was nearer to the elevator. Nodding in acknowledgement, the duo followed the petite girl to their suite.

* * *

_

**Reine's POV**

I remained quiet as Eris and Toji relayed the events to me. I pursed my lips angrily at Tala's actions.

_'He didn't even introduce her or tell Tamayo where they were going! He's going to get a piece of my mind for the shit he's caused.'_

I sent Eris and Toji a warm smile before getting up and approaching Tamayo's door. Knocking softly I called to her.

"Hey, may I come in?"

Silence greeted me. Growing nervous, I knocked louder and asked, "May I come in?" again. After five minutes of silence I heard the door unlocking as a puffy-eyed Tamayo greeted me.

"Hey," she whispered as she attempted to give me a watery smile, "Sorry about snapping at you earlier."

Shaking my head in disregard to her previous actions I examined her worriedly.

"You okay?"

Stepping back, she let me. I stepped into her room, noting that it was a posh as mine was.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I tried to start a conversation as she remained by the door. She looked haggard, her emerald eyes dim.

"I thought…I thought it would be true," she finally answered as she slid down the length of the door, "I thought I would finally be…special."

I got up and hugged her tightly.

"Of course you are," I murmured soothingly as I petted her hair while she hiccupped into my chest, clutching my shirt desperately, "Tala's just a fool. He doesn't know what he has."

"What he has is a fat girl who's desperately in love," she said bitterly as her emerald orbs hardened with powerful emotions. Anger, frustration, sadness, disgust, and regret swirled in her vacant gaze.

"You're not fat," I stated angrily, sending her a fierce glare, "Don't you let Tala tell you that you are. If he thinks that, he doesn't deserve you."

"What he said was true, though," she answered quietly as she bowed her head, "I should have never have given it to him. He would just break it. It hasn't even been four days."

"What Tala said was definitely not true," I spat vehemently, silently cursing the redhead, "It's his fault, not yours. You had forgiven and gave him the most precious thing, but he had broken it. It's unforgivable."

Standing up angrily, I let myself out of her room as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"He's not going to bother you," I said softly before closing the door behind me.

"Is she okay?" Kai asked as he slipped an arm around my waist. I rubbed the bridge of my nose tiredly.

"I just can't believe Tala would do something like that. I know it might not seem like he did a lot, but to Tamayo it's more than anything. She didn't have it easy. It's mainly her family's fault, but she was recovering and Tala destroyed it."

My toned turned bitter near the end as I glared viciously at the pale wallpaper, imaging Tala and smashing him to pieces.

"Family?" Kai asked gently, trying to pry information from me. Shaking my head, I regarded him wearily.

"Sorry Kai. This is confidential and you can't know…especially since you're _his_ friend."

Loosening his grip, I wiggled out of his grasp and headed towards the door.

"I hope you don't mind, but Tala isn't going to be our roommate anymore."

Kai nodded understandingly as he followed me. I gave him a quick peck on the lips before walking out and headed for suite 223. Knocking on the mahogany doors, I waited patiently for someone to open up. After waiting for a minute, I heard the lock click before the door swung open and Enrique's head popped out.

"Reine?" he asked as he blinked confusedly.

"Yeah, hi. Is Brooklyn there?" I asked languidly, acting as if nothing was wrong, as I leaned against the doorway.

"He is, hang on."

Enrique popped back inside and Brooklyn emerged a few minutes later.

"You asked for me?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Yes. I suppose you were there when the whole incident happened. I would appreciate it if you took Tala's spot and be our roommate. I don't care where Tala goes as long as he's out."

I spat Tala's name with such hate that Brooklyn took a step back.

"Of course," he answered as he turned and motioned Mystel over, "Just let me arrange for Garland to switch with Tala so he can be with the rest of Blitzkrieg Boys."

Nodding, I waited patiently as Brooklyn explained the situation to the blonde. Mystel tilted his head in understanding before disappearing down the hall to room 203. Brooklyn turned to me and indicated for me to lead the way to our suite. Apparently the hotel's lackeys haven't brought up our luggage yet. I stopped in front of suite 167 before sliding the key card and opening the door.

"Sorry Brooklyn, but everyone had already chosen rooms. I hope you don't mind."

He shrugged nonchalantly before heading to the vacant room.

"Everything go well?" Kai asked quietly as he appeared beside me.

"Yeah," I mumbled as I looked at my watch, "Where is our luggage?"

"I'll go check," he answered before leaving through the open door. I started to pace around the room.

_'Why would Tala do this to Tamayo? Didn't he like her? Obviously not if he dumped her to be with someone else. Doesn't he know what she's gone through? Probably not since it's only been, what, 3 days since they've got together. Stupid asshole, he doesn't even know how much damage he had caused.'_

Sighing as I finished ranting in my head, I plopped onto a couch and waited for everyone to gather. I barely heard Kai come back.

"Here's the luggage," he said as he threw me my duffel bag. Mumbling my thanks I went into my room and unpacked quickly. When I came out, I noticed most of the bladers were here. Kai probably got them their luggage before bringing us ours.

"Who wants to go with me to pick up Durby?" I asked. Kai grunted.

"Who wants to come with me besides Kai?" I corrected myself.

"I'll come," Robert offered as he stepped forward.

"Me too," Brooklyn replied lethargically as he stood up from his spot on one of the red leather coaches.

"Fine. We're set. Remember to go over your parts for Operation D.T.S. The observers should leave early tomorrow morning and switch the shifts as discussed. Report back to me at 10 p.m. tomorrow."

Closing the meeting, I noted that Tala wasn't back yet.

_'Seems as if he even forgot our meeting.'_

I frowned slightly.

_'This isn't looking good for Tamayo. I'm going to have a serious talk with him.'_

"He isn't here, is he?" Kai asked as soon as everyone was gone with the exception of me, him, Brooklyn, and Robert.

"No," I answered darkly, "We need to have a serious talk once he gets back. He's neglecting his duties as both a blader and boyfriend. Let me correct that, his _old_ duties as a boyfriend."

"_Old_ duties?" Robert asked as he stared, puzzled, at me.

"He's not obligated to them anymore more," I answered coldly as I saw Robert's eyes widen in understanding, "He didn't do what he was supposed to do."

Suddenly there was a knock on the suite door.

"I'll give you three guesses to who that is," I drawled as I stood up lazily and sauntered to the mahogany door. Opening it a crack, I caught sight of the devil himself.

"Are you going to let me in?" he asked impatiently when I didn't open it anymore.

"What would you do if I said 'no'?" I asked languidly, eyeing him with disdain.

"Why the fuck not?" he hissed.

"Because I said so. You're not obligated to stay here anymore."

"What do you mean? Can't I stay with my girlfriend?" he asked indignantly. I felt myself flare with anger at his tone.

"What girlfriend?" I sneered contemptuously.

"Tamayo! When did you become so stupid?" he snarled in reply, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I laughed coldly at his statement.

"She's not your girlfriend. You're not good for her," I answered coolly as stared him down, "You destroyed what we worked so hard to fix and you will pay. You didn't do what you were supposed to do."

"What was I supposed to do?" Tala asked uncertainly, shifting uneasily at the tone of my voice.

"Be a responsible boyfriend," I replied as I opened the door entirely, "Which means treating your girlfriend with respect, for example, _not_ ditching her to go with someone else that you didn't even introduce to her, especially if it's a girl."

"I don't know why she's so bothered," Tala replied coldly, finally realizing the reason, "Doesn't she trust me at all? She's throwing a tantrum because I didn't tell her where I'm going. She's so childish."

"You bastard! You will never understand," I spat, my anger boiling over.

"Reine, easy," I heard someone whisper soothingly as a gloved hand rubbed my tense back gently.

"Keep out of it, Kai. You don't know what happened," I snapped, glaring hard at my boyfriend.

"None of you do," I whispered angrily to myself before opening the door all the way and stalking out.

"Oh and Tala? You've been moved to suite 203 with the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys and Rick."

"What!" I heard him splutter indignantly, "Why?"

I ignored him as I headed towards the elevator, Kai, Brooklyn, and Robert following behind.

"Perhaps you're too hard on him," Robert said gently.

"Trust me when I say I was not too hard on him. I was too lenient," I answered aloofly as I pushed the button, "Like I said, you don't know what happened."

"We will if you tell us," Kai suggested quietly. Sighing loudly as I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"I know I can trust all three of you so I will tell you, but there is a catch."

Kai cocked his eyebrow as he waited.

"You must _never_ tell anyone of what you know. It's very personal to Tamayo and she does not wish for anyone to know unless it's someone either she or I deem worthy."

"Fine," Brooklyn answered as he regarded seriously, "Whatever helps her situation and right it."

"I'm afraid it will take a lot to right this wrong," I answered softly as my anger drained away to be replaced by weariness. The elevator 'dinged' as it reached our floor and the metal doors opened with a soft 'whoosh'. As we stepped into the secure confines of the small room, I told them Tamayo's story.

"She's the only child of her parents. They never really treated her right and as a result, she has very low self-esteem and that's why she's so defensive and easy to anger."

* * *

_**Flashback – Normal POV**_

_"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" a young Tamayo called into an empty house. Her smile faded as she realized she was alone, once again. Sighing in defeat she trudged up the marble stairs. Sure she was rich, but she was never what you would call happy._

_Later that night, it was around eight when Tamayo heard her parents come home. Running down the stairs, she grinned happily at them._

_"Welcome home!" she shouted cheerfully._

_"What are you doing still up?" her mother asked angrily as she shed her fur coat. Tamayo's smile faltered at her mother's vicious tone._

_"I thought you will be happy to see me when you come home, Mom. That's what my friends say that they do," Tamayo answered, confused at her parent's response but not surprised. That's how it had always been, but she had always hoped that it would change so they would accept her._

_"Don't call me Mom! It makes me sound old. I'm only 23! I wasn't meant to have you. You were a mistake," she replied bitterly, "The other kids are different because their parents actually wanted them. No one will ever love you no matter how hard you want them to and look to find the right person. They will lie, yes, but they never truly will feel that you're special."_

_Tamayo's lips trembled as she bowed her head._

_"You're right," she replied softly as she walked up the stairs and closed the door behind her. Sobbing quietly, she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_

**Reine's POV**

"So now you know," I said grimly as they stared at me with unbelieving eyes.

"Her mother actually told her that?" Brooklyn asked as his eyes darkened in anger. I stared at the gleaming wall of the elevator, refusing to meet their eyes as they digested her story. With a soft 'ding' the elevator opened to reveal the lush lobby of the hotel. We walked outside silently and flagged a taxi to take us to the Bern Airport. The ride was silent as we contemplated the situation.

Soon, we pulled up in front of the dome-like building that was the airport. Kai pulled on my arm to keep me back as the others entered through the building's sliding doors. I gestured for them to go on ahead while Kai and I sort out our problem.

"What do you need?" I asked quietly, still uncomfortable about what I'd just old them.

"I think you weren't too harsh," Kai replied as he stared intensely into my eyes. I smiled weakly at him.

"I know," I mumbled as I buried my head into his chest, not carrying about who saw us. He kissed the top of my head gently before breaking away and steering me inside.

_"Plane J3012 from Paris, France has arrived in terminal 23,"_ the P.A. announced. We waited patiently to catch a glimpse of Durby's orange head. Not ten minutes later, his lanky form was seen exiting the plane. I waved frantically to catch his attention. Catching sight of me, he sent me a grin before heading over.

"You ready, mates?" he asked good-naturedly.

"More than ever," I chirped falsely, determined not to let Durby catch wind of the drama that might put Operation D.T.S. in peril.

"Good. Well, I'm starving. What's for lunch?" he asked as we exited the building once more.

"I don't know. We'll see when we get back to the hotel. I believe you can either stay with the Saint Shields or the Blitzkrieg Boys and Rick."

"We'll worry about that later, Reine," he replied as he slung his bag carelessly over his shoulder, "We have to discuss something I came across."

* * *

**Somewhere Unknown**

"Has the spy been dispatched yet?"

"Yes sir. Venom has been dispatched and currently working. Venom has already made contact."

"Very good," the man purred as his eyes glinted maniacally, "So the games begin."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm so sorry for not updating! Dx I didn't know what I was going to put into this chapter. I decided action but then I postponed it so I'm so sorry! I had to add this chapter because it's important. –cough– I know I was going to call it Operation D.T.S. but I think I'll save that name for later so I'm sorry if I mislead any of you.

Oh no! Tamayo and Tala are on the rocks! I just hope they can get it together before it becomes too late. Who's Venom and what are they up to?

I want to ask to see if the reasons are sufficient enough for Tamayo to break down. I didn't know how to put it but if you have any advice, I'm willing to hear it. :D Any advice can help.

I know I promised to update "**A Fork in the Road**" and with my current writer's block, I couldn't think about it, so I'm sorry to those of you who looked forward to the update. :(

I have reached 1,500 hits and 70 reviews! Whoot! I love you guys! –huggles all of you–

I would like to thank **whyamidoingthis01**, **soldier4Christ**, **Sakura-Moonlight**, **DaCow Takao**, **AnimeCrazy88**, and last but not least **Crownowa** for the awesome reviews! You keep me going when the going gets tough and I run smack into a writer's block. xD

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	17. Operation DTS

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got some pairing worked out and only a couple are left pending. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/**

* * *

**Chapter 17 – Operation D.T.S.**

**Reine's POV**

We managed to get Durby set up in the Saint Shield's suite after he set the time for a group meeting. He went without protest but I can't say the same about Tala.

"What the hell is up with you! Why am I being moved?" he screamed in frustration. Staring coldly at him, I answered, "Because we don't need you to meddle in our affairs," before stalking off.

"Meddling in your affairs? Tamayo's my girlfriend!"

Eyeing him disgustedly, I answered, "No, she's not."

Kai reached out and placed a hand on Tala's shoulder, silently commanding him to back off. Sending one last angry glare in my direction, Tala stalked down the hall and into his new suite, mumbling incoherent curses under his breath.

"That went well," I sighed, leaning my head against Kai's shoulder.

"Better than I thought," he murmured back, staring after the retreating back of his friend, "He usually doesn't back off without a fight."

"So you would've beaten him to a bloody pulp if he didn't leave?" I teased, my eyes twinkling mischievously as I eyed my boyfriend.

"I could've tried. Tala's no pushover."

Smirking at his response, I gave him a peck on the cheek before saying, "I'm going to see how Tamayo's doing. You should inform everyone else about the meeting."

Grunting in response, he headed towards suite 156. I slipped, discreetly, into our suite before knocking quietly on Tamayo's door.

"Who is it?" came her muffled response. Her voice sounded stuffy as if she hadn't stopped crying. Cringing slightly and preparing for the worst, I answered, "It's Reine."

I heard some shuffling before the door creaked open and Tamayo's green eyes peering at me from a crack. Seeing that I was alone, she opened the door all the way before ushering me inside. Plopping down on the floor beside her, I eyed her before talking softly.

"Are you holding up okay? He's not going to bother you anymore. I made sure he switched suites."

She nodded tiredly before clasping her hands over her knees as she leaned against the side of her bed.

"I don't trust her," she mumbled.

"Trust who?" I asked suspiciously, having a faint idea who she's referring to.

"Celine," she answered, her voice gaining strength as we focused on a different subject. I nodded in agreement. From the short glimpse I had caught of her when I left earlier, she looked…foreboding and evil. I couldn't read her very well. It might've just been my imagination, but I doubt it. From what I could tell, she was smirking as we argued and fought amongst ourselves.

"Me neither," I finally replied, snapping out of my thoughts.

"We should keep an eye on her," Tamayo announced as she stood up and dusted off her pants. I stared at her in surprise as she turned her hard gaze onto me, "I'll watch her."

"I don't know how Tala would like it if you suspected her. They seem close," I said as I stood up too.

"I can handle Tala," she replied, a determined glint in her eyes, "I think he's trusting her more than he should. He should remember he's on a mission and almost anyone can be the enemy."

"Alright, if you say so," I answered uncertainly, not wanting Tamayo to confront Tala more than necessary, but not if she has anything to say about it, "I'll only allow you to do that if you stay near Brooklyn whenever you approach them."

"Fine," she answered as she headed out the door. Turning back, she looked at me over her shoulder.

"You coming?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, I followed her out. Brooklyn was sitting languidly on one of the leather couches in the lounge. As soon as he spotted us he smiled pleasantly.

"Feeling better?" he asked sincerely as Tamayo plunked herself next to him."Much," she sniffed before turning and smirking at him before she started to tease him about being a pushover by agreeing so easily to change suites.

_'I'm glad she rebounded back quickly. Even though most of it is a façade, she's doing better than expected.'_

**/She's strong, little one./**

_'You're right, Esilé. She's very strong.'_

Deciding that Brooklyn should have a break from her incessant teasing, I interrupted.

"Durby's calling a meeting at 8 tonight. We're meeting in the Saint Shield's suite."

They gave me a curt nod before they turned back to their conversation. Sighing in resignation, I headed out and decided it was best to talk to Tala while he's willing to listen.

_'I guess he deserves to know what he did wrong. I don't know if he will correct it, but it's better than nothing.'_

**/Everyone deserves a second chance. He didn't know/ **Esilé said, her middle head rearing tiredly as she drifted in and out of sleep. It was the time of day where she has her ritual nap.

_'Right. Thanks Esilé.'_

She hummed in reply before dropping her head tiredly and drifting off.

Pausing in front of suite 203, I hesitated before knocking softly on the door.

"What?" Tala snarled as he wrenched the door open. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

_'Looks like someone's in a pissy mood.'_

"I came to talk to you," I answered coldly before brushing past him and entering his new suite.

"I trust you know when the meeting is?"

Tala glared at me before jerking his head towards the right, indicating he did know.

"Spit it out, Tanaka. What do you want?" he spat as he continued to glower at me. Crossing my hands defensively across my chest, I eyed him down.

"I'm here to tell you just exactly what you did wrong."

Scrutinizing me for a few seconds, he finally led the way to the couches in the lounge. Following him slowly, I took a seat across from him, staring intently into his icy blue eyes as I started to explain slowly.

"You might not think what you did was wrong, but due to Tamayo's…circumstances, it holds more meaning."

Holding up a hand, I stopped him from interrupting me.

"She has a…difficult past and she doesn't need anyone to give her a hard time. We believe, as in me, Eris, Toji, and Tamayo, that you guys should take it easy for a bit in the current predicament."

He settled grudgingly and waited for me to continue.

"First, you didn't introduce her to your new _friend_ and ignored Tamayo to take her out to coffee. Secondly, you didn't tell Tamayo where you were going."

"Why the hell does she need to know where the fuck I am? It's none of her business!" he exploded.

"It is her business because she's your girlfriend," I answered coolly, my patience wearing thin, "Who knows if you're cheating on her or not?"

"I would never cheat on her!" he exclaimed.

"But she doesn't know that," I answered softly, eyeing him to see if he's lying, "and neither do I. We don't know you long enough."

He fell silent as he contemplated my words before he asked, sourly, "What's third?"

"You called her fat," I answered deadpanned.

"I didn't call her fat," he argued, looking exasperated.

"No, but you inferred it, along with Toji. The difference is you actually meant it. Toji knows of her…past and she knows he's teasing, unlike you. Just like what I said before, you don't have our complete trust because we don't know you."

"Well, I would know what to do and what not to if you told me about her freaking past!" he said exasperatedly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"That's for Tamayo to tell you when she's ready. No one else should. She will tell you when she's good and ready, and when she finally trusts you," I stated firmly, indicating that it's the end of the conversation, "I don't know what you're going to do and I don't care if you try to right what you did wrong, but if you hurt or pressure her, you _will_ pay."

Sending one last glare in his direction, I let myself out. As soon as the mahogany door was shut securely behind me, I leaned back and breathed deeply.

"I take it that it went well," I heard someone ask as I spotted a familiar person in my peripheral vision.

"Good enough. Now all he needs to do is gain her trust again," I sighed as straightened myself, "What time is it?"

"One-thirty," Kai replied.

"No wonder I'm so hungry," I grumbled as we headed back to our suite, "What do you say about calling room service for pizza?"

"Sounds good," he answered as we stepped inside.

"Hey Reine! Kai! We're just about to call room service for pizza! Do you want some?" Tamayo called as she placed one hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Sound great!" I called back as I sat on one of the loveseats. Kai placed himself next to me before putting an arm around my shoulders. Brooklyn looked amusedly at us as he slouched on one of the couches lazily.

"Where's Eris and Toji?" I asked as I looked around. Brooklyn shrugged before answering, "I think they went out for lunch saying something like 'We don't do room service'."

I sniggered. Tamayo and I played a prank on them a long time ago using room service and they were never the same. A few minutes later Tamayo flounced over.

"Durby and the Saint Shields are joining us for lunch so I ordered 3 large pizzas. I figured it's enough since Tyson isn't coming."

"I guess we get an early heads up from whatever he has to say," I answered nonchalantly, not particularly wanting to stay up late and listen to Durby prat about the Skullz.

We didn't have to wait long before they came knocking on our suite door.

"I got it!" Tamayo shouted as she bolted towards the door.

"She seems okay," Kai murmured in my ear.

"It's an act. She's perfected her mask after many years," I whispered back, snuggling close to his body. He was comfortably warm.

"Durbs!" I heard Tamayo shout excitedly before there was a loud crash and a few moans of pain. Chuckling quietly, I relished the vibrations from Kai's chest as he laughed silently. A few moments later, the group entered the room with Tamayo clinging to Durby's back while he balanced three boxes of pizza. Apparently room service had delivered the pizzas just as they arrived. The Aussie placed the three boxes on the coffee table before collapsing on the couch beside Brooklyn.

"So mates, I guess youse want a heads up on the situation?" he asked as he rubbed his hands delightedly.

"Yup!" Tamayo chirped as she took a slice of pepperoni pizza before biting into the cheesy slice with relish.

"I found some floor plans and security stats when I hacked their database. I can't believe how easy it was to hack. Those wankers are stupider than I thought. If everything goes according to plan, Operation D.T.S. will be easier than taking a lolly from a baby," he stated happily, basking in his success before reaching for a slice of cheese pizza.

"Can you give a copy of your information to Kenny and Emily? They're in charge of our information teams. You can stay with Emily's group while I move Ming-Ming to base instead," I suggested after I swallowed my bite of pizza.

"Sounds like a plan, mate," Durby agreed as he bit into his second slice, "And I believe there are more guards than I thought so we will have to make backup teams 1 and 2 take some."

Nodding to his suggestion, I heard Kai ask, "Will it affect our operating teams?"

"Nah, it shouldn't," Durby said as he brushed off Kai's question, "We are more than prepared even though I think it wouldn't be wise to send a group of four as an operation team."

He sent a disapproving look in the Saint Shield's direction.

"Youse should take at least two of the base team. We don't need many people here."

"We'll be fine," Ozuma said as he stared at us unnervingly, "We are more than enough for an operating team."

Durby sighed and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine, it's your deaths."

Ozuma grunted as he turned back to his lunch as Mariam scolded Dunga for pigging out while Joseph laughed in the background.

"So the teams are set and ready to go, no?" Durby asked as he turned back to Kai and me.

"Yup. The observers are ready to head out tomorrow morning. I trust the guard shifts haven't changed?"

"Nope. They still have four four-hour shifts before pulling an all-nighter. I'm not sure how heavily armed they are, but it can be pretty heavy seeing they're near the slums at the edge of the city and there aren't many people to see. So who's taking what shift?"

"Julia is taking early morning from six a.m. to ten a.m. Raul is switching with her from ten a.m. to two p.m. After Raul is Jim taking from two p.m. to six p.m. with Goki taking the final shift from six p.m. to ten p.m.," I recited as I ticked the name off my fingers.

"Sounds good," Durby complimented as he finished his final slice before sitting back and patting his belly, "So can you give me an update on the groups after our changes?"

"Sure Durbs," I said as I wiped the pizza sauce off my face with a piece of napkin.

"Since backup teams 1 and 2 need to take on some of the guards, I'll give them the sides to patrol. Team 1, which are Julia, Raul, Jim, and Goki, are taking the front guards while Team 2, Eris, Toji, Tamayo, and Tyson, take the back guards. Backup 1, which are King, Queen, Claude, and Aaron, take the left side and Backup 2, Zeo, Gordo, Miguel, and Mathilda, take the right. The two 'Brains' are headed by Kenny and Emily. Brain 1, which are Kenny, Hilary, Daichi, Kane, and Salima, are going to be hidden in the building in front of the headquarters giving instructions to Op. Teams 1 and 3. Brain 2, which are Emily, Max, Rick, Crusher, and you, Durby, will be hidden in the building behind the headquarters giving instructions to Op. Teams 2 and 4. Op. Team 1 consists of me, Kai, Brookly, Mystel, Garland, and Johnny. Op. Team 2 consists of Ray, Mariah, Lee, Kevin, Gary, and Oliver. Op. Team 3 consists of Tala, Spencer, Ian, Bryan, Robert, and Enrique. Finally Op. Team 4 consists of the Saint Shields: Ozuma, Mariam, Joseph, and Dunga. Holding the base is Michael, Steve, Eddy, and Ming-Ming."

Nodding, satisfied, Durby stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to head over and try to find Kenny and Emily to give them what I dug up. Where are they again?"

"They're in suites 156 and 225," Tamayo said as she licked her fingers clean of any remaining pizza sauce.

"Thanks Red," Durby called over his shoulder while Tamayo glared at his retreating back.

"Don't call me RED!" she shouted, pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Soon it was eight and everyone was squished uncomfortably in the Saint Shield's suite.

"I trust that everyone knows the procedure?" Durby asked as we finally settled down. Nods were seen throughout the room as well and a couple of 'yeah's were heard.

"Okay, mates. Remember the point of the Operation D.T.S. is to gather as much information as possible on the possible sponsor organization without putting anyone in too much danger. We break in and out in under an hour and hopefully we would've finished everything, that includes getting his nibs arrested. Any questions?"

"Durby," Tala called quietly. Everyone's attention was turned to the Russian redhead. They had all heard about Tamayo's breakup and feeling less than sympathetic towards him.

"Yeah?" Durby asked, unaware of the tension in the room.

"Celine wants to help," Tala stated bluntly, getting straight to the point.

"NO!" Tamayo shouted as she shot up and glared venomously at the Russian, "She doesn't know about any of this. This is _our_ group mission."

"Yes she does. She's a qualified member of the BBA and I trust her with my life," he snarled back, not backing down from her challenge.

"What do you mean 'Yes, she does'? Did you tell her?" I asked darkly, feeling my rage shimmer under the surface.

"She knows all about Operation D.T.S. and as I said before, I told her because I trust her with my life. She wouldn't put our plan in jeopardy," Tala stated defensively, facing my anger dead on, "She's experienced in this field so she'll be heaps more help than most of the people here."

He glared pointedly at a fuming Tamayo. Her emerald eyes glittered with suppressed anger.

"You are a fool," I spat coldly as I heard Esilé his dangerously in the back of my mind, "Did I not tell you that everything has to go by me first before you tell anyone?"

"She was raised in the abbey along with me and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys. We know she's trustworthy," he continued stubbornly, "Besides, you wouldn't have listened to my request because you're the wench's friend."

Tamayo's nostrils flared as she eyed him coolly.

"What does her being my friend have anything to do with this? She's one of the leaders of this project and we respect her decisions. She's a great judge of character. The real reason you didn't run your request through with her is because we all know that Celine isn't trustworthy."

"How dare you?" Tala hissed as he advanced on the petite redhead, his icy blue eyes hard in anger, "You don't even know her. The reason I know Tanaka wouldn't accept my request is because you'll influence her decision."

"I don't let personal preferences influence my decisions," I said coldly, "I do what's best for everyone so there won't be any accidents resulting in anything serious. I put the group before myself. I'm surprised that you of all people put _your_ personal preferences before the group and our cause. Besides, doesn't it seem just a bit strange that _Celine_ turns up just as we're about to head out and do the operation, with her matching all the requirements and more. I _do not_ trust her. It seems too suspicious. Maybe with our next operation, we can include her but you couldn't wait. You just put the lot of us in jeopardy. What if she's a spy?"

"She wouldn't spy on us!" Tala snarled, "She's loyal. You wouldn't know because you weren't raised in the abbey. In the harsh conditions we only had ourselves. We relied on our wit and our friendship formed a bond stronger than family. We're family to her and she would never betray us."

"Valcov!" Kai barked warningly, his crimson gaze boring holes into the other Russian's head. Durby coughed uncomfortably.

"Since you already told her, I believe it's best to have her working with one of the groups so at least a couple of us can watch over her actions," he suggested, "She will have more room to do whatever she pleases if we leave her out seeing Tala told her everything."

I thought about this for a while.

_'It's true that it's safer if we keep her close, just as the saying 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. I guess Tamayo will want to watch over her if we do,'_ I mused.

"Fine," I finally bit out as I leaned tiredly into Kai's warm frame, "She's on Team 2 under Tamayo, Eris, Toji, and Tyson's watch."

"What! She should join the Operating Teams because she has the experience!" Tala interrupted angrily.

"No," I replied coolly, "She's sitting back for this one. Her experience will help Team 2 distract the back guards. We have to see where her loyalty lies as well as her skills. Do you guys agree to watch over Celine?"

"Yeah," Tamayo answered as she caught my eye, nodding in silent agreement to our previous pact.

"Well," Durby coughed nervously, "I guess the meeting's adjourned."

Tala stormed out and headed towards the elevator, probably to tell Celine all about the latest predicament. Sighing, I took Kai's hand as he helped me up.

"Do you think it's a good idea to put her on a working team?" he asked quietly.

"Team 2 has the people I would trust with my life. They'll keep an eye on her," I replied as we headed back, "You were at the abbey for a bit, right? What do you think about Tala's points? Are they valid?"

Kai thought for a bit before he answered.

"I was only there for my younger years, but from what I could remember, you always had to rely on yourself first before you rely on anyone else. I think Tala forgot that so he found her extremely trustworthy. I have my doubts, but from what I can see, I think we can trust her."

Sighing softly, I whispered, "I hope you're right."

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't help but review my first encounter with this Celine. Her amethyst eyes held a cold glint, just like Tala and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys, but there's also something else in her eyes. Even with my sharpened empathy skills, curtsy of Esilé, I couldn't tell what it was. She doesn't give off the same vibes, that much I could tell. Rolling over, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

_'Did I make the right choice? Should I move her to Tala's team where they'll keep a better eye on her? No, I'm right. They'll probably trust her too much and let her off, but Robert's on that team.'_

Sighing, I closed my eyes and placed my arm on my forehead.

_'I'll just have to trust my instincts. If my instincts are wrong, I'll never forgive myself.'_

The next day came and gone without much incident. We met Celine a couple of times, but I couldn't tell much about her from the span of time we spent in each other's company. From what I can tell, she doesn't trust me just as much as I don't trust her.

_'What does she have to hide?'_ I thought as I remembered her latest excuse to get away from my scrutinizing eyes. Tala would snarl at me every time she leaves as if it was my fault that she left, which it partly was. I still don't trust her, and I know Eris, Toji, and Tamayo doesn't either. Everyone else pretty much trust her since the Blitzkrieg Boys does. Even Kai seems to trust her a bit. That night, Julia, Raul, Jim, and Goki reported their findings.

"Every guard has a set of beyblade and launcher. We were unable to identify the model type or what they're stats are due to the lack of confrontation. There are about three guards on each side per shift, but five through the eight hour all-nighter," Julia announced, her green eyes flickering to Celine every once in a while as she continued to stare at the Spanish blader with her unblinking, amethyst eyes. Julia shifted uncomfortably as silence reigned after her report.

"Thanks Julia," I finally said as she sat down with relief. Standing near the front of the group, I looked at everyone seriously.

"Tomorrow, we attack. We shall attack at the change of shifts between ten p.m. and ten-o-five p.m. just as the five new guards emerge. Team 1 and 2 and Backup 1 and 2 will be position as soon as it hits the five. From then, we will have approximately an hour to get in and get out with the necessary information as well as apprehend the sector leader. Operating teams one through four should destroy any and all computer rooms as well as surveillance tapes. Destroy anything that might look beneficial to their organization and keep any records that may seem like a lead to the sponsor."

Everyone nodded before leaving to their suites to sleep off their exhaustion for the upcoming day.

* * *

**Somewhere Unknown**

"They'll be attacking the Skullz base in Bern tomorrow night at 22:05," an anonymous voice echoed in the dark room.

"Excellent. Venom, you know what to do, correct?"

"Yes. I have informed Dirk about their arrival. He's ready for them. I will be ready and waiting. I'm ready to take out B103."

"Good. I expect progress, Venom. Do not disappoint me."

"Of course, sir."

With an inaudible beep, the connection was terminated.

"They won't know what happened to their _flawless_ plan, those ingrates. The traitors will be warned sufficiently, I hope."

The man chuckled darkly.

* * *

**(AN: I think I'll cut it off here. Give you something to chew over since it's so suspenseful! xD BWAHAHAHAHA!**

**Ok. I'm not that mean. Since you guys had to wait so long for this update, I guess I can write more.)**

* * *

**Normal POV – Saturday 21:50**

"Team 1, are you in position?" Reine's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie.

"Loud and clear," Jim answered.

"Team 2, are you in position?" Reine asked.

"Check!" Tamayo chirped back. Shaking her head at her friend's hyperness, Reine proceeded to check on all the teams.

"Backup 1?"

"We're in position," came Claude's voice.

"Backup 2?"

"Ready to roll," Mathilda said cheerfully.

"Brains 1 and 2?"

"Ready!" Kenny and Emily said simultaneously.

"Operating Team 2?"

"Here," came Mariah's chipper reply.

"Operating Team 3?"

"Hn," Bryan grunted.

"Operating Team 4?"

"We're good," Mariam's voice crackled.

"Base?"

"How do you work this thing? Is it on? Oh. Hello? Hello? Can you hear us?"

"They can hear you Michael!"

Reine stared at her walkie-talkie in amusement as she heard various group members snicker.

"Teams 1 and 2 and Backup 1 and 2, take your positions. It's 10:00 and the guards are switching," Reine whispered as she put her walkie-talkie down and adjusted her earpiece.

"Roger," four voices answered as the groups shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Brain 1, are you safely hidden and guarded?"

"We're set."

"Brain 2, are you safely hidden and guarded?"

"All set, mate," Durby's voice answered.

"Durby, put Emily on. She's going to be leading Op. Teams 2 and 4, not you."

"Right," came his sheepish reply before she heard Emily bickering with him in the background with the ever peaceful Max trying to stop them.

"It's ten-o-five. Move out!" Reine commanded as sounds of scuffling feet were heard over the radio. The rest waited impatiently for the sound of engagement so that Op. Teams 1 through 4 can move in. Team 1 was first to make contact.

"Hey you! What're you doing here?" one of the guards called out as the four bladers flitted in and out of the shadows.

"Punks! We're talking to you!" another guard shouted as he reached for his blade and launcher. Soon all five guards had launched their blades, chasing the bladers as they headed for a nearby alleyway. Before long, there were sounds of clashing beyblades as Team 1 drew them into battle.

"Op. Team 1 is moving in," Reine murmured into her earpiece as her group of six darted out of the shadows and made it inside the building.

"Kenny, can you hack their system and scramble the sequences for the security cameras?" Kai asked as he ran beside Reine.

"I'll try, Kai," Kenny replied as rapid clicking could be heard from their earpieces. The group vaguely heard Backup 1 and 2 make contact. King and Queen could be heard commanding Gabriel and Ariel to attack mixed with some commands from Zeo and Gordo as both groups engaged the guards. Their feet pounded heavily on the tiled floor as their footsteps echoing eerily off the walls. It doesn't help that the hallway was extremely dark and you could barely make out the person in front of you.

"Where is everyone?" Mystel asked as his eyes darted from side to side, "There should be more guards than that."

"They probably thought they didn't need anymore guards seeing they're the all powerful Skullz and no one is insane enough to storm their headquarters, egotistic bastards," Reine answered as she ran effortlessly beside the Scot.

"Turn right," Kenny's voice commanded as they approached an intersection, "There's a computer lab on your left-hand side 3 doors down."

Veering to the right, the group followed Kenny's instructions to only run into a heavily armed group of guards.

"Spoke too soon," Garland muttered as he reached back and pulled out his gold beyblade. The rest followed suite.

"Kenny, we'll take a while before we're able to destroy that lab. There's a bunch of guards here. We're engaging them. Over and out," Reine reported as she grabbed her orange and white blade, careful not to disturb the deep blue blade containing Clytem.

--------------------

As soon as Backup 1 and 2 engaged in battle, Op. Team 3 and 4 headed inside. Tala's ice blue eyes flickered from shadow to shadow as Ian ran beside him. Robert and Enrique ran behind the duo while Bryan and Spencer flanked the entire group.

"Op. Team 1 had engaged," Kenny's voice crackled in their earpieces, "There's a computer lab directly on your left at the next turn."

"Roger that," Tala replied monotonously as he was trained to back at the abbey. Skirting around the corner, the group ran into a group of guards, all of which are as heavily armed as the group encountered by Op. Team 1.

"We've engaged," Robert reported as he brought out his purple beyblade, "There's a group of guards in front of this computer lab. Looks like our plan leaked out."

--------------------

Reine vaguely heard Robert's comment as his voice crackled through.

"Shit," she cursed as her orange blade dodged another sharpened blade before doubling back and slamming it into the concrete wall where it shattered into harmless plastic pieces. Moving over to her boyfriend, she nudged him discreetly before whispering the news.

"Robert thinks this is a setup. Our plan was leaked."

Kai cursed colorfully as Dranzer destroyed another blade.

"Does anyone else know?" he asked, his eyes glued to the battle.

"I don't think anyone else heard what he said. I barely heard and I would've missed it if I hadn't just destroyed a blade and was taking a breather," Reine answered as her blade engaged another one in a game of cat and mouse.

"Does Kenny know?"

"Of course. Robert was telling him and I just overheard."

"Okay. Contact Emily and tell her to warn Op. Teams 2 and 4 so they can just head for the office."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Reine answered, "Since our plan was indeed leaked, then they'll have a heavy defense. We don't want anyone hurt. I'll just tell Emily to proceed as planned with extra caution. We need the element of surprise. We're outnumbered as it is."

"Fine," Kai answered as Dranzer barely dodged a blade's assault, "I'll cover for you."

Nodding her thanks, Reine hid behind Kai as she concentrated on the earpiece's noise and called to Emily.

"Reine? What is it?" Emily answered after a second's pause. Reine could still disconcert the sounds of the raging battle behind her but she willed herself to forget it.

"We have a suspicion our plan was leaked. Tell Op. Teams 2 and 4 not to engage unless necessary and not to head to the office. Op. Team 1 will, with the help of Op. Team 3. We need the element of surprise so hit them fast and draw back."

"Got you loud and clear, Reine. I'll tell Op. Team 2 and 4 now. Later and out."

With a click, Emily had turned the frequency from Reine's receiver to a bare minimum while she shouted instructions to Op. Teams 2 and 4.

"She's going to warn them," Reine informed Kai as she rejoined the battle, helping Kai push back a particularly vicious blade. Her orange blade zigzagged around a green blade before turning 130 degrees and slamming it at a breakneck speed into the concrete wall.

"We're setting off to the office after we collect data from this computer lab. We're meeting Op. Team 3 before engaging them."

Kai grunted in answer as he pushed back at an offending blade.

"Let's hope the others are having more luck then us."

--------------------

Tala was destroying blades left and right. It was just like a simulation back in Biovolt. Spencer, Bryan, and Ian weren't having much problems destroying the blades quickly and efficiently, with the minimum amount of energy, while Enrique and Robert were having a harder time but quickly catching on to their techniques.

"Tala? This is Op. Team 1. We're heading to the office after we finish the guards, collect the information, and destroy the lab. We'll meet up with you at the T-junction before the office."

"Right," Tala grunted as he made eye contact with the rest of his team, making sure they heard. Nodding back at Tala, they quickly demolished the rest of the remaining blades and knocked out the guards before bounding them. Ian, Bryan, and Tala made their way inside the lab while Spencer, Robert, and Enrique stood guard outside. Quickly inserting a CD, Tala waited impatiently as all the files were copied. The minutes crept by slowly as the loading bar on the screen of computer slowly reached 100 percent. Soon the group heard a beep indicating that the process was done. Ejecting the CD and pocketing it, Tala shot his beyblade at the mainframes, tearing through their circuits and wiring like mesh. Ian and Bryan followed suite and before long, the lab was trashed.

"Let's go," he commanded coldly as they headed out. Quickly regrouping, they headed down the hall and followed Kenny's instructions to the T-junction.

--------------------

"Salamulyon! Destroy them!" Johnny commanded as his red blade knocked three blades into the air and flipped them upside-down. With a few, brief commands, the group ended the skirmish. Kai, Garland, and Johnny bound and gagged the guards while Brooklyn, Mystel, and Reine hurried inside the computer lab. Inserting a CD, Reine started to download everything from the mainframes. With the data stored safely in her pocket, the group proceeded to demolish the room.

"Poseidon! Ocean Javelin!" Mystel commanded as his bitbeast emerged from his blade in a rush of water, immediately short-circuiting some of the machinery while Reine and Brooklyn tore into the waterproof ones. Satisfied with their results, the trio hurried out and joined the three other bladers before heading towards the T-junction.

Within minutes, the two teams arrived at their point of destination. Glancing briefly at each other and sending the other curt nods, they waited patiently for Kenny to instruct them farther.

"If you go straight down, you will reach the main offices. From the infrared cameras I hacked, it seems like there's a huge group of guards position there. If you head towards the right after reaching the end of the hall instead of continuing to go straight, you should encounter the least amount."

"Thanks Kenny," Reine said as she eyed Robert and motioning him over, "What do you say about splitting off into smaller groups that can back each other instead of mass chaos?"

"Sounds good," he answered. Voicing her opinions to Kai, they agreed it was for the best.

"We're going to split into groups of four. They'll be three groups and your group members can back you. Pick people you're comfortable working with and trust," Reine instructed.

Kai, Robert, Reine, and Garland formed one group while Mystel, Brooklyn, Johnny, and Enrique formed another leaving the Blitzkrieg boys as the third group.

"Let's go. Remember to stick as close together as you can."

Reine took the lead as she navigated the halls with apparent ease, her connection with Esilé heightening her senses. Before long, the groups encountered the said guards and started to fight their way down the remaining length of the hall. Surprisingly, it was relatively easier than before.

"That's strange," Reine mumbled as she totaled another blade, leaving it to a worthless heap. Without warning, one guard tackled her to the ground and away from her group. Skidding to halt and crashing against the wall, she got slowly to her feet, clutching her throbbing head.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Isn't it the brat? Are you ready to face the promise I made six years ago?"

Freezing, her gaze rose slowly only to lock on a pair of cynical, green eyes.

"Are you ready to die?"

* * *

**Tamayo's POV – Saturday 22:05**

I heard Reine give us the signal to move out. I waited until Celine left before making my way behind her, watching her for any suspicious activity. Tyson was leading the way followed by Eris, Toji, Celine, and finally me. Celine's lime-green hair glittered prettily in the moonlight. I felt a pang of sadness remembering the way Tala had looked at her. Shaking my head to rid myself of these thoughts, I focused on my mission.

_'Come on Tamayo! Focus! You don't want to look incompetent, now, do you? What would Tala say?'_

Gritting my teeth, I promised that I'll prove him wrong. I'm just as good at this as Celine even though she might have more experience. Suddenly, I heard Tyson shouting loudly.

"Hey you, goons! Yeah you! I'm talking to you! You think you're so good? Want to go against the world champ and see how good you are? Come on!"

That was our cue to head for the back area that Kenny had picked out earlier for our confrontation. I heard Tyson's approaching footsteps followed by more clattering feet.

"Now!" Eris hissed as she darted from shadow to shadow and followed the group towards the empty lot. Suddenly Celine was tackled from the side and fell, with a shriek, into a dark alleyway. Cursing under my breath, I followed her and the goon inside. Without warning, I felt someone smash my head into the wall of the alley, destroying my earpiece and walkie-talkie transmitter.

_'Shit! I can't contact anyone now. I guess I'm on my own, well if you don't count Celine. Talk of the bugger, where is she?'_

"Didn't mommy teach her little girl that it isn't safe to play in dark alleyways?" the goon leered at me.

_'God! He's such a pedophile!'_

"No, but she did teach me this!" I answered as I kneed him sharply in the groin. With a painful groan, he was down for the count.

"And that's what happens when you mess with me, punk," I muttered as I headed out of the alley. Suddenly, I heard dark laughter from behind. I felt a shiver crawl involuntarily up my spine.

_'What was that?'_

Turning around and peering behind me, I saw nothing but shadows. Shrugging it off as my over-active imagination, I turned to head out before a midnight-black blade flew out of the shadows. Following the blade, a cloaked figure appeared, his face hidden by a skull-like mask.

_'His mask is just like Destruction's,'_ I remembered as I recalled the fateful confrontation in August. I backed up slowly until I was pressed against the alley way. Examining him closer, I saw that unlike Destruction, this guy was a lot smaller. He's more lean and agile rather than bulky and muscular like Loréndoz and Destruction.

"I'm putting you out of commission," the cloaked figure said coldly. Suppressing another shiver, I faced him boldly.

_'I wonder where Celine is. I thought she was supposed to be experienced at this! Where is help when you need it?'_

"Who are you?" I asked boldly as I frantically searched the alleyway for any sign of the amethyst-eyed girl.

"I'm called Venom, B103," he answered, his voice as cold as before. I stared confusedly at him.

"B103?" I asked just as his blade headed for me, intent on causing as much harm as possible.

"Your friends won't be able to help you," he continued coldly, "so don't even think about it."

Ducking quickly, his blade missed me by centimeters.

"I don't need their help to defeat you! I'll just rely on myself, like I usually do! Go Ciatra!"

I launched my gray beyblade onto the cold concrete as his black blade continued to spin in front of me menacingly.

"Go! Rancor! Show her what real power is!"

His blade darted at mine quickly, slamming it against the alley wall before grinding it deeper into the bricks.

"Ciatra! Counter!"

Just as his black blade drew back to go on another round of assault, Ciatra darted out before doubling-back and slamming his blade into the wall, reversing our roles.

"Not bad, little girl, but you're not disciplined. You're showing too much emotion and that'll be your downfall," the cloaked figure patronized as he broke free without breaking a sweat, "Too bad you won't be able to learn from your mistake. Destroy her, Rancor!"

The blade slammed brutally into mine, forcing it against the wall once more.

"Ciatra!" I cried desperately, eyeing my gray blade worriedly.

_'I'm not experienced enough to take him down. What am I going to do?'_

**/Believe in me. I'll guide you/** Ciatra purred reassuringly.

_'I've always believe in you.'_

I felt more relaxed when I heard Ciatra's voice.

"Come out! Ciatra!" I heard myself call as I felt a sudden burst of power. A beam of white light shot of my blade as Ciatra reared out with a loud roar.

_'Guys, you would be blind not to see that light. I hope you guys get here soon because I could really use your help!'_

"So you decided on calling out your pathetic bitbeast. Very well, I'll call out mine! Rancor! Arise!"

With a yellow beam, a poison dart frog hopped out his blade. Its neon yellow and green markings glowed faintly in the dark alleyway. Red eyes stared out vacantly as it turned to face us.

"Feral Slash!" I commanded as Ciatra sprang forward with a low growl, her sharp claws flashing in the dim light. The attack grazed Rancor's side, but he didn't appear to be in pain.

"What!"

"Did you really think you could hurt him? Think again! Use Poison Gas!" the Skullz member commanded, his voice dropping to icy undertones.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Gah! This chapter took so much planning it wasn't even funny. X.x Sorry for the delay and I hope the longness makes up for it. I couldn't really think of a good action scene so I'm going to stop it here and hope that the next chapter will blow your mind! This plot will carry over to the next chapter before you see the aftermath. xD If you're still confused about the teams, they're listed below with who's in who.

**Observers:**

Julia, Raul, Jim, Goki

**Team 1:**

Julia, Raul, Jim, Goki

**Team 2:**

Tamayo, Eris, Toji, Tyson, and now Celine

**Backup 1:** (This used to be a backup team until Durby announced the new number of guards so plans changed.)

King, Queen, Aaron, Claude

**Backup 2: **(This used to be a backup team until Durby announced the new number of guards so plans changed.)

Zeo, Gordo, Miguel, Mathilda

**Brain 1:**

Kenny, Hilary, Daichi, Kane, Salima

**Brain 2:**

Emily, Durby, Max, Rick, Crusher

**Operation Team 1:**

Reine, Kai, Brooklyn, Garland, Mystel, Johnny

**Operation Team 2:**

Ray, Mariah, Lee, Gary, Kevin, Oliver

**Operation Team 3:**

Tala, Bryan, Spencer, Ian, Robert, Enrique

**Operation Team 4:**

Ozuma, Mariam, Joseph, Dunga

**Base:**

Michael, Steve, Eddy, Ming-Ming

**If you have any questions, just send me a message. :)**

Okay, this chapter was better, I guess. I hope this fills some info you've been asking for and craving. I can't reveal everything, but by the end of the fic, I should have covered everything. The question now is WILL TAMAYO BE TERMINATED!

Ten points to whoever can guess why Venom is called Venom and what his connection to Rancor is. (I don't mean something like "Rancor is his bitbeast". Be creative people!) xD

**I'll toss a bone to you eager readers**: I'm referring to Venom using 'he' because in most antagonistic terms in which the character's gender isn't identified, it's usually presumed a 'he'. Venom can be of any gender so keep guessing! xD

**Ms. Controversy: I hope you had fun in Jersey. :) Thanks for the review! xD Update soon or I shall start a mob and hunt you down!**

I'm so happy that I've reached 79 reviews and 1740 hits! Rock on guys!

I would like to thank **whyamidoingthis01, DaCow Takao, soldier4Christ, Sweet-Plum, AnimeCrazy88, Crownowa, Ms. Controversy, **and last but not least **Sakura-Moonlight** for the reviews and understanding. I love you guys!

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	18. Appearance of the Queen of the Tundra

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary: **After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the proto-type. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen when you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer: **I don't earn Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings: **I've got some pairing worked out and only a couple are left pending. ;-D

**Rating: **T for mild swearing

**Quick AN: **This story is told in multiple point-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
**/talking with bitbeast via mind link/**

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Appearance of the Queen of Tundra! **

**Tamayo's POV**

I watched with fascinated horror as Rancor started to swell like a balloon at an alarming rate. Ciatra growled warningly, moving so she was shielding me. Our blades danced around each other, looking for a weakness.

"Now! Release it!" Venom commanded, sweeping his hand in the air. Rancor took one last breath before belching out thick, purple smog. Holding my nose with one hand, I waved the other frantically, trying to dissipate the gas. The mysterious smog kept spewing out of Rancor's gaping mouth. Blinking my eyes to clear it of incoming tears, I tried to look around for Ciatra. She didn't look like she was faring much better than me.

"Ciatra!" I croaked, "Stop Rancor's attack with another Feral Slash!"

My gray blade sped up as its rotation speed increased. It charged at the opposing blade just as Ciatra lunged clumsily at Rancor, who didn't even flinch or move.

"Did you really think physical attacks will work on Rancor?" Venom snarled, his eyes dancing in sadistic amusement, "Use Slime Armor!"

Rancor started to secrete thick, yellow-green drops of goop. A horrible smell met my nose causing my eyes to water even more. I could hear Ciatra yowl in pain when she made contact with the strange substance. I can feel my granite-colored blade starting to wobble dangerously.

"Ciatra!" I called, panicked by her reaction.

"Foolish little girl," Venom mocked, "Tell me. What's a poison dart frog's specialty? You should've learned it in school."

"They secrete poison from their sweat glands," I recited before what I just said registered. My eyes widened in realization.

"That's right. You're not thinking thoroughly enough and that'll be your downfall. As we speak, the poison gas is paralyzing your kitty's nervous system and your little attack there just sped up the process."

I could fell my muscles spasm as I started loosing control. Leaning on the wall for support, I tried to remain standing only to slide down onto the cold concrete. By now, Ciatra was just a lump on the floor, her head raised weakly as she glared defiantly at the colorful frog.

"And this is where it ends. Defeating you wasn't a challenge at all. This was hardly a fight," Venom 'tsk'ed as he motioned for his blade to attack mine. Watching helplessly, I could only stare as Rancor slammed Ciatra into the brick wall causing her to disintegrate back into my blade as it came to a stop.

The small 'click' of my blade hitting the floor registered faintly in the back of my mind as I watched, in slow motion, my last line of defense being destroyed by Venom. Now it was only me verses him, no Ciatra to save the day and the rest of my stinking group is off somewhere completing the mission I was suppose to be helping them with.

"B103 terminated," Venom hissed before his black blade sped towards me, sparks flying out behind it. I was already drifting off into darkness when his blade reached me, ripping my clothing to shreds. I fought to keep my eyes open, but the fumes expelled by Rancor were too strong. As my eyes flickered one last time, I could swear I saw a white blade charging the attacking black one, knocking it back from its continuous assault. I vaguely heard someone yell, "Dragoon! Phantom Hurricane Attack!" with a mixture of familiar voices calling my name.

_'I guess this isn't too bad of an ending,'_ I thought before I fell into darkness.

* * *

**Normal POV – 22:10**

Tyson led the guards down the road and turned sharply to the left, ending up in an empty parking lot.

"We got you cornered now, punk!" one of the guards snarled as he advanced menacingly.

"That's what you think!" Tyson taunted as he made a series of faces at the angered men.

"We'll show you!" another guard shouted, bringing out his blade and launcher. With a swift pull, his navy blade flew at Tyson. Stepping back, Tyson barely dodged the blade.

"If you want to play that way, Dragoon!" Tyson called as he expertly launched his white blade to meet the navy one head on. The blades grinded the other mercilessly, each trying to overpower the other.

"Is that all you got?" Tyson mocked as he got cocky, "Dragoon! Show him _real_ power! Attack!"

The white blade spun faster as it started to push harder, moving the navy blade back a few feet. The guard gritted his teeth in frustration.

"What're you waiting for? An invitation? Get in there and help me beat that little punk!" he shouted at the four other guards.

Grunting loudly as they pulled out their own blades, they launched them at the sparring pair.

"No fair!" Tyson whined as he focused back on the battle, the tables tilted in the guards' favor, all traces of cockiness replaced by worry.

"Let it rip!" Toji called as he launched his blade. **(AN: Remember that Toji also learned to blade in Gym. Only Eris is in Athletics.)**

His burgundy blade flew into the melee as it knocked two blades away from Tyson. Flashing Toji a thankful smile, Tyson slammed his blade into the three blades like a bowling ball into bowling pins. **(AN: Can you get the mental image? I can so see them toppling over. xD)**

"Dragoon! Galaxy Storm Attack!" Tyson yelled as a huge gust of air formed into a raging mass of wind spiraling wildly around the four blades. With a loud bellow, the mighty azure dragon rose from his blade, his yellow orbs were slitted as he eyed the terrified guards. With three successive 'click's the three blades flew out and landed on the ground.

"Let's get out of here!"

The three turned tail and ran out of the lot leaving their two comrades battling fiercely against Toji.

"Ha! That's what you get for battling the champion!" Tyson said as he flicked his nose with his thumb, pleased with his victory. Dragoon roared in agreement before turning his gaze to the two remaining blades ganging up on a struggling Toji. Tyson blushed. He had forgotten about him.

"Oh right. Dragoon!"

Without a second's hesitation, the white blade hurtled towards the battle, evening out the odds.

"Toji!" Eris shouted as she jumped out from where she was hiding, "Behind you!"

Whipping around, Toji barely escaped unscathed. The new blade had left a small cut on his right cheek.

Wiping off the trail blood, he faced the intruder. Unlike the other guards, he was stockier and less intimidating, but looks can be beguiling if the iron skull mask was any indication. He was one of the higher officers.

"Tyson, I think you should handle this one," Toji mumbled as he stepped back to distance himself from the newest arrival.

"Wha? Why?" Tyson asked as he turned around. Catching sight of the man, he immediately shivered. The guy unnerved him. It's not that he was intimidating, but rather the aura that was rolling off him. It reeked of pure evil.

"Right," he answered as he snapped out of his horror-induced trance. Dragoon backed away from the now grinning guards to face his new opponent. Toji immediately filled the empty gap. Eris backed into the shadows once more.

"Tamayo, I think Toji can really use your help now," Eris whispered. Hearing no reply, Eris turned around to call to ask once more only to find that that no one was there.

"Tamayo? Celine? Where are you guys?"

Panic rose in her chest as she realized that Tyson and Toji were in trouble. If one of them falls then it's the end. It's at times like this that she wished she could blade. Remembering that Tamayo had handed her the walkie-talkie, since she would be blading if it was necessary, Eris crouched down tried to pull it out of her belt with trembling hands, fumbling clumsily from anxiety. Pushing the "talk" button, she whispered, "Team 2 in need of major back-up."

Static greeted her ears. Her heart pounded in her ears as she reached near hysteria.

"Where are you?"

Jumping from surprise, she felt relief wash over her upon hearing Emily's voice.

"We're in the back lot."

She heard some mumbling before Emily answered again.

"What's the situation?"

"Tamayo and Celine are missing and the guys need major backup. I don't have a blade, let alone know how to, and they will be crushed if you don't send someone soon," Eris babbled as her panic rose again. She heard some more mumbling through the static before Durby's voice crackled out of the earpiece.

"Emily's on her way. We can't spare her for long so she's just bringing you a spare blade. We can' spare anyone right now. Apparently our plan was leaked and we're all under attack. Sorry."

"But I don't know how to blade!" Eris exclaimed.

"Emily will explain the basics to you. You'll just have to work with it from there. Just keep them preoccupied and we'll send someone as soon as we can. Sorry, mate."

With a click, Durby offed the connection. Staring at the piece of plastic in disbelief, Eris banged her head on the wall behind her, regretting taking up Athletics instead of Gym. Not five minutes later, she spotted Emily darting towards her, hidden in the shadows.

"Pst! Emily!" Eris hissed, waving at the orange-haired girl. **(AN: Emily has orange hair, right?) **Running over, Emily kneeled down beside her before handing her a white beyblade.

"Sorry, I can't stay long, but here's your beyblade. This is one of the newest models developed in our headquarters in New York, but we haven't tested it yet. It's the only spare one I had."

Eris carefully took the blade and examined it under the moonlight. The blade appeared to glitter.

"What's it made off?" she asked, in awe of the beyblade.

"You mean why it's so sparkly?"

Emily's eyes twinkled in suppressed merriment.

"The defense ring is pure diamond and the attack ring is made of 100 percent titanium. The weight disk is combined with the base and the turbo charge accelerator is placed near the tip making this the latest beyblade technology. It isn't even on the market," Emily explained proudly as she pointed out each feature, "Don't forget the specialized launcher. It's one-of-a-kind made especially for this blade. You can't find it anywhere else so you can say it's personalized."

Emily winked before getting up to head back.

"Wait!"

Eris scrambled up, "How do you launch a beyblade? I need to know that, at least, if not anything else."

Emily blinked before smiling.

"Right, I forgot you didn't know how to do this. **(takes blade from Eris)** You see the indentions here? That's where it fits onto the circular part of the launcher, but you have to string the ripcord through the opening here **(points to a rectangular opening near the base of the launcher)** before attaching it. It will make a small click if you did it correctly. Now you try it."

Handing the blade back to Eris, Emily sat back and watched Eris carefully insert the ripcord before attaching the beyblade successfully. Nodding her approval, Emily gave her a thumbs-up before running off.

Taking a deep breath, Eris carefully emerged from the shadows. Distinct sounds of clashing beyblades echoed in the air.

"Dragoon! Try again!" she heard Tyson call. He sounded agitated. Moving forward, she saw Tyson grinding fearlessly against a gray blade. By the looks of things, Tyson was loosing badly. Suddenly, the gray blade broke away before slamming back into the white blade. Tyson winced slightly as he felt some of the impact through the link he and Dragoon share. Tearing her eyes off Tyson for a second, she turned to see how Toji was fairing.

"Hold…on," Toji grimaced as both of the blades ground into his, trapping him between them. Setting her mouth in a grim line, Eris slid in the ripcord and attached the blade like how Emily showed her earlier. Silently counting down, she pulled on the ripcord as hard as she could as she launched her new, white blade. Landing a few feet away from the fighting blades, it wobbled as it touched down before straightening. Gaining confidence, Eris walked up to Toji and placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"Attack!" she cried as her white blade sped up and rammed into one of the enemy blades.

"You guys should be taught to play fair," she admonished as she quickly grasped the concept of blading. Revving up, her white blade picked up speed until it was only a white blur.

"One more time should do it!" Eris encouraged as her blade backed up before charging forward and send the enemy blade flying.

"One down and one to go!" she cheered, happy that she won her first battle even though her blade did most of the work. Holding out her hand, she called back her blade.

"Wicked blade, Eris! You're a natural!" Toji complimented, shooting her a quick wink before turning back to his battle. Eris blinked at him before growing warm as she felt her cheeks flush.

"Oh," she mumbled before realization hit and she turned away, thankful that the night was dark enough to hide her growing blush.

* * *

**Eris' POV (AN: Introducing a new POV!)**

_'That was…unexpected. He never openly flirted with me before.'_

Remembering the wink, I felt my cheeks growing warm again. Slapping my cheeks determinedly, I tried to settle down.

_'Come on Eris! Pull yourself together. Now isn't the time for this kind of thoughts! Toji can take care of himself now so you should go help Tyson!'_

Turning to face the masked man, I gulped. Having a blade to protect myself doesn't help make me feel any better about facing a man with such an ominous aura.

_'Stop that! Tyson needs you're help! You weren't able to do anything before but now you can! What are you waiting for?'_ I scolded myself before tightening my will.

"Better late than never," I sighed as I tightened my grip on my launcher before launching my blade once more. This time, my launch was stronger than before as my white blade joined Tyson's. Knocking the offending gray blade away from Dragoon, I headed after the quickly retreating blade.

"Klimeir!" the man commanded, speaking for the first time. The gray blade pulsed before picking up speed.

"This isn't good," Tyson muttered to me, "He's charging power. He's probably going to call out his bitbeast."

I gulped. No wonder I was scared. Here's a man with a murderous intent plus a powerful bitbeast. This is _not_ a good combo for a beginner blading for the first time that's bitbeastless.

"Stand back," Tyson commanded as he stepped forward.

"No! You can't take him by yourself!" I protested, my eyes hard with determination, "You were having trouble beating him without his bitbeast! What makes you think it will be any different when he does? His bitbeast will probably give him even more power than before! This isn't something you can do alone!"

"But you'll get hurt! You don't have the experience or the power to face such an advanced opponent!" he pointed out.

"I…I know," I mumbled as I rubbed my arm nervously, "but I can serve as a distraction. It might give you an upper edge or advantage of some sort. I know it's quality not quantity, but it can't hurt."

He studied me carefully before sighing.

"Fine," he finally relented as he turned back to the battle, "but when it gets too dangerous and I tell you to pull out, you pull out, okay?"

_'Who knew Tyson could be so wise? He actually knows what he's doing. Who would've thought?'_

Smiling to myself, I turned to glare at our opponent. He was standing defiantly a few yards away from us as his gray beyblade spun, immobile, before him. He was wearing a ragged, gray cloak that was billowing behind him. His face was hidden by the iron, skull mask leaving only the eyes uncovered. Bare, muscular arms were crossed across his chest while his legs were spread shoulder-length apart to support himself.

"Are you done talking?" he rumbled, his voice gravelly, "If you are, I'm going to finish this. Klimeir!"

A gray light shot out of his blade as a black hyena with gray splotches emerged from his blade, its yellow eyes glowing in the night. It stood leering hungrily at us. Wasting no time, his blade charged us.

"Dragoon!" Tyson called as it drew near. With a roar, the azure dragon appeared with his claws drawn and ready to fight. Calling my blade back a little, Tyson took the first initiative. With a bloodcurdling roar, the Dragoon hurtled towards the hyena, his eyes blazing with suppressed rage. The Skullz member waited quietly with Klimeir spinning, stationary, before him. At the last second, the gray blade veered away, dodging Tyson's attack by a millimeter.

"Try again, Dragoon!" Tyson commanded as his white blade skidded before swerving back. Once more, the Klimeir veered away, taunting Tyson with its pupil-less yellow eyes. Tyson screamed in frustration as he tried once more.

"That's enough," the man suddenly said as he gestured towards his gray beyblade with one arm, "Dispose of him."

His tone of voice sent chills down my spine. I stared with wide eyes as the gray blade suddenly vanished only to appear beside Dragoon before repeatedly slamming into him causing him to wobble uncontrollably.

"Dragoon!" Tyson cried desperately as his white blade continued to slow. Biting my lip in indecision, I finally decided to act.

"Help out Tyson! Go!"

My white blade hurtled towards Klimeir, trying to distract him for Tyson to regain his footing. Just before I reached them, Klimeir sent Dragoon flying as the azure dragon dissipated back into his defeated blade. I felt cold sweat break out on my forehead as the hyena turned his full attention on me.

"Finish her," the man commanded coldly as saliva hung off the hyena's slack jaws.

"Dodge it!" I commanded in vain as his gray blade picked up speed and sent my blade spinning. Turning to eye the Skullz member out of the corner of my eye, I saw his mouth curved in a sadistic smirk.

_'Oh god. I can't believe I'm doing this.'_

"Attack her, Klimeir. Show no mercy."

My blood ran cold as I heard his command. This bastard was completely sadistic. Shielding myself from the incoming impact, I felt my sleeve rip as the sharpened metal attack ring left a three-inch gash on my arm. Wincing in pain, I stared defiantly at him.

"I don't think she learned her lesson yet. Attack her again."

Gritting my teeth in pain, I took another hit. My eyes were clenched in pain as a dull throbbing pulsed through my body from my wounds. Somewhere in the darkness, I felt a warmth pulse from my jacket pocket.

_'What's that?'_

Opening my eyes, I was greeted by a white and snowy terrain.

_'Where am I?'_

**/You're in my domain, child/** a purring voice responded as a snow leopard materialized in front of me, sitting contently in the snow. My eyes widened in recognition.

_'You! You're the one who saved me from the avalanche that day!'_

**/Yes, I did. I'm glad to see you still remember me/** she answered, amused by my answer.

_'But why am I here?'_ I asked as I looked around, _'Toji and Tyson need my help.'_

**/Ah, but that's why I called you here/** she replied amusedly, **/I'm here to help you./**

Rising to her feet, she padded over.

**/I'm willing to be your partner. Do you accept my offer/**

She stared unblinkingly at me with her tawny eyes.

_'Yes. I'm willing to accept you as my partner and hold all responsibility,'_ I answered without hesitation, determined to help in whatever way I can.

**/Wise answer, little one/** she purred as the wind picked up and snow drifted around us, cocooning us in a whirlwind of white, **/Come. They need us./**

With a flash, I was pack in the parking lot with my blade spinning before me. It didn't seem like time had passed at all during our conversation. The gray blade was sullied with my blood as I continued to bleed freely from my wounds.

**/Find your inner strength and take out my totem. Then you may call my name/** she instructed as her voice filled my head.

'_My inner strength? How do I find that?_'

**/You'll know when you find it. Now close your eyes./**

Closing my eyes, I searched for it. Suddenly I felt the familiar pulsing that I felt before. Pushing aside all other thoughts and feelings, I treaded my way through the darkness to the shimmering core.

_'There.'_

Reaching for the throbbing blue light, I held it tightly as I opened my eyes and pulled out the totem.

**/Call my name./**

Without hesitation, I opened my eyes and called to the skies, "Chione! Show yourself, Queen of the Tundra!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry for the absurdly short chapter. If you've been keeping up with my profile, then you'll know that I'm really busy with schoolwork, and I mean _really_ busy. --" Sorry for the late update. I made you guys wait a while for such a short update. I feel horrible!

Well, I couldn't bring myself to continue the chapter because I might not be able to upload it for another month if I want it to be longer so I was hoping you guys will be satisfied with this. As you can probably tell, the chapters will probably get shorter as the school year progresses, but I won't put my fic on hiatus unless:  
**1) I have too much work  
2) I absolutely can't write anymore and is stuck between a rock and a hard place  
3) I have a horrible case of writer's block.**

It probably will be a while before I put it on hiatus. I probably won't if you guys don't mind slow updates. :) Thanks for still reading.

I'm so happy! –squeals– I have finally reached 90 reviews! Only 10 more till I reach my goal of 100! –dances– I have over 2200 hits and increasing! xD

**Hint for next chapter: **We will see what happens after Tamayo blacks out and witness Eris' first battle with her bitbeast, Chione.

**Ms. Controversy – Sorry but I don't have MSN. I have an AIM sn though. x) You haven't updated and I'm totally looking forward to when you do. **

**Crownowa – Thanks for your thoughts. I hope I'll answer them soon. I think I'll get to that part before winter break, I hope.**

I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing my fic. :) You guys have made me really happy! –sniffs– I would like to thank **Ms. Controversy, whyamidoingthis01, Crownowa, Sakura-Moonlight, DaCow Takao, fruit salad2, AnimeCrazy88, soldier4Christ, Distant Storm **and last but not least **Musee. Picasso **for everything!

If I didn't reply to your review, I'm _really_ sorry. Message me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. X.x Also, if you have any plot questions, feel free to e-mail me, but I won't give you any spoilers.

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


	19. Of Past and Present

**The Other Side of the Story**

**Summary**: After the BEGA incident, Reine finds herself unable to cope with the blind side of the world which turning away from all that's been done and will happen with the sport of beyblade. As a new BBA program was set into action, she finds herself, along with her beyblade-hating town, stuck as the prototype. The BBA program was made to help blader-haters all over the world to cope and even get to love beyblading as a sport. Reine finds herself in the middle of things when the bladers chose her school for their first experiment? What would happen if you throw beybladers at blader-hating mobs? Nothing pretty.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade. I do own my OC's as well as the plot.

**Pairings:** I've got most of the kinks out, I hope.

**Rating:** T for mild swearing

**Quick AN:** This story is told in multiple points-of-views so the key below should help to determine what's being said. I hope it's not too confusing.

**(action)**  
'_thoughts'_  
"talking"  
_**/talking to bitbeast via mind link/**_

* * *

**Chapter 19 – Of Past and Present**

**Eris' POV**

I gritted her teeth in frustration. Even with Chione's help, the Skullz member was still too strong.

_'Come on, Tyson. Hurry up and reload already!'_

"Oh no! Dragoon!"

I turned just enough to see Tyson eyeing his beyblade worriedly. His eyes were wide, taking in every detail of his battered and broken blade. He groaned loudly.

"What am I suppose to do now?"

"Tyson!" Toji called as he ran over, "Borrow my blade and help Eris. She's just a beginner! She doesn't stand a chance!"

Holding out his burgundy blade, Toji waited patiently for Tyson to take it. He had just eliminated the two remaining thugs and was eyeing me worriedly out of the corner of his eyes.

Tyson shook his head.

"Sorry, dude. Your blade just isn't compatible with Dragoon. Your blade is too heavy and leaning towards defense too much to be a good match. I think it'll be better if you battle instead of me."

Toji's lips tightened. Now, it was all up to him.

"No pressure, guys," he muttered sarcastically under his breath before reloading his launcher and sending it hurtling towards the dueling pair.

"Chione! Let's try again! Sheering Winds!" I called as I watched the gray beyblade wearily.

The snow leopard growled deeply in its throat as it vanished into a raging blizzard. I shivered as I pulled my black, leather jacket closer to my body. I guess I'm thankful that Toji let me borrow his jacket when I didn't have one.

"Incoming!" I briefly heard over the howling winds before a burgundy blade slammed into the gray blade, sending it back a good couple of feet and relieving me a little.

"Thanks, Toji-kun!" I beamed, feeling my confidence gather as Toji backed me up. With a sudden power boost, I released a blast of freezing wind.

"Let him feel the subzero temperatures of Switzerland!"

A loud roar pierced the air, leaving behind an eerie silence just like those before a massive storm. Suddenly, the sky darkened even more, if it was possible, as the gray hyena was trapped in the unrelenting blizzard.

"Toji! Slam him now!" I urged as I held gray blade back. Toji's burgundy blade sped up, tearing into the storm, effectively ejecting the offending blade. The hyena howled with pain as it landed, it's dull, yellow eyes turning an angry shade of red.

"Uh guys? I think you made it mad," Tyson said, gulping.

"No shit, Sherlock. What gave you the first clue?" Toji snapped sarcastically only to elbowed in the ribs by me.

"Be nice," I commanded, "He's on our side. If you want to vent your anger, just flip the weird dude in the cape a birdie."

Toji sweatdropped at my comment.

"Right…Okay, back to the battle. So, what's the plan?"

"Try to stay alive," I answered curtly, "I mean, duh, if you're dead, then who's going to back me up?"

"I was afraid of that," I heard Toji groan and grinned to myself. Turning serious, I wondered at our chances of actually defeating such a power enemy.

_**/Don't worry, Mistress. I won't let that rabid sorry excuse of a dog hurt you./**_

Smiling to myself, I thanked Chione.

Suddenly, our conversation was cut short as the hyena came hurtling at us at breakneck speed. Taking a quick glance at the displeased Skullz member told me all I needed to know. Not only did we manage to piss the hyena, we pissed him off, too.

"Go Kilmeir! Shadow Manifestation!" he roared as his hyena growled in agreement.

_'Shit! What are we suppose to do now?'_

* * *

**Reine's POV**

_'I know that face anywhere! He's Aliahe's murderer. No doubt about it. I can never forget that gaunt face and cynical green eyes.'_

**_/Be careful, little one. He's much stronger than the last time we faced him,/_** Esilé warned as her tail thrashed restlessly.

"Reine!" I heard Kai call.

_'What am I suppose to do?'_

**_/It's probably best to tell him not to worry and that you have the situation under control./_**

_'You know we call that lying, right?' _I replied, dryly.

**_/Would you rather have him worry?/_ **Esilé stated bluntly.

_'You have a point,'_

"Don't worry, Kai. I've got this under control," I answered coolly and calmly, just the opposite of what I'm currently feeling.

"So you aren't a sniveling coward anymore," he sneered, "I'll have you bowing down to my power! Go Korkash!"

Launching his blood-red beyblade at me, I barely managed to roll out of the way. I faintly heard Kai's worried shout. Gritting my teeth in anger as the bubbling hate welled up inside me.

_'It's time, Esilé.'_

**_/I'm ready whenever you are, little one./_**

Quickly grabbing my blade, I reloaded it and launched it at the blood-red blade.

"This is for Aliahe!" I shouted as my orange and white blade slammed into his.

"Oh, so that was that bitch's name," he laughed, "Well, I guess she died for nothing because I'll be killing you anyway! Go Korkash!"

_'What? It's my fault Aliahe died?'_

Stunned, I barely managed to maneuver out of the way.

**_/Pay attention!/_** Esilé roared angrily in the back of my mind. Quickly shaking my head to snap out of it, I focused on the battle again.

_'Can't let him psych me out,'_ I scolded myself, cursing as I barely dodged another attack.

"What? All bark and no bite? Well, you've had enough time. Korkash! Rise!" he commanded.

I watched with dread as his blood-red vulture rose out of his blade with a screech.

"Someone go help Reine," I heard Kai command.

"No!" I shouted as I turned and glared at a startled Kai, "This is my fight, stay out of it."

"But you'll need their help, little girl," the man sneered, "You won't be able to defeat me all by yourself. After all, I am Bloody Gin, head of this facility."

"I don't care if you're Boris himself, I'm gonna pummel you into a pulp."

She saw Kai and the Blitzkrieg boys openly wince.

_'Hehe, oops?'_

"You'll be smart to fear Boris! You're so naïve. Anyhow, you won't live to see it! Go! Nightmare Rain!"

_'Boris? I was kind of kidding about that, but from what I can tell from what that idiot Gin just said, he's behind all of this. At least we got what we came for.'_

"Esilé! Finish this! We have what we need!" I shouted as Esilé reared out of her blade and stopped Gin's attack. Scoffing, I turned my hard gaze onto Gin.

"Who's the weak one? Finish him! Serpent's Twister!"

Esilé roared in agreement as the temperature dropped drastically as the water particles started to gather in a vortex around Esilé as the twister slowly began to build in power.

"Wolborg!" I suddenly heard Tala command before a bone-chilling howl was heard.

_'What the hell is Tala doing?'_

Turning my attention to the battle at hand, I commanded, "Release it!"

With a burst of power, the twister broke free and spun towards Korkash at a surprising speed. As it gathered around the startled vulture, I heard Tala shout, "Novae Rog!"

_'Oh, so that's what he was doing.'_

In a flash of bright light, the ice wolf froze the vulture in a case of ice. Sending Tala a grateful nod, I turned to Esilé.

"Destroy him!" I commanded as she roared approvingly before diving headlong into his blade, shattering it from the force of the impact.

"As you were saying?" I taunted smugly. Hey, I don't have to be modest all the time.

"Oh don't worry. I might not be the one to kill you and get rid of that Ancient bitbeast of yours, but someone will, and they'll do it nice and slow."

Suddenly he was picked up and slammed against the wall.

"Like I'll let them," Kai growled as he tightened his grasp on Gin's neck. He only managed to gurgle before he fainted.

"Hmph," Kai grunted as he tossed the limp man onto the stack of unconscious men, "I guess we're done here."

Looking around, I saw that the guys had cleaned up the guards nicely. They even got the data from the main office and destroyed it. No, not destroyed, _obliterated_. I jumped slightly at a large crackle.

"Relax Reine, it was only the radio," Enrique smirked as I blushed faintly. Reaching for it at my belt, I shot a glare at the snickering Italian.

"What is it?" I answered, slightly miffed.

"It's Team 2. They're in dire need of assistance. Seems like Tamayo and Celine disappeared a while back and Tyson's blade is being totaled," Kenny whispered frantically. I heard a fist slam into the wall behind me, no doubt Tala. Whether it's for Tamayo or Celine, I don't care, but the prospect that someone is beating the crap out of the world champion is no small thing.

"We're finished here. Have everyone meet back at base except for us. We're going to support Team 2. I take it that everyone's finished what they were supposed to do?"

"Yeah, everyone reported in except Team 2. I heard from Emily that Eris had requested backup and was forced to blade instead because no one could be spared. Apparently, one of the higher ups was out back. No one is picking up the radio right now, so I'm guessing that they've got their hands full."

Contemplating the situation for a moment, I made eye contact with Kai as he nodded to show that he'll go with whatever I had in mind.

"Okay Kenny, here's what we're going to do. Bring your spare parts in case someone's blade was totaled or destroyed during the mission. Have Daichi accompany you and meet us out back. Like I said before, have all other teams, including the rest of your team and Brain 2 meet back at base. Got that?"

"Sure Reine. We'll be there in a few minutes."

With a click, the radio went dead. Putting the radio away slowly, I turned to face everyone.

"Did all of you get that? We're heading out now."

Everyone nodded, except for Tala whose back was faced towards me. Signaling to Kai to take everyone out back, I headed towards Tala. Once I was sure everyone was out of earshot, I touched his shoulder.

"Come on, they need you."

"What if something happened? We left on bad terms," he whispered as he leaned against the wall, resting his forehead on the cold concrete.

_'So it was Tamayo, not Celine. He might have another chance, yet.'_

"She'll be fine. She's strong," I replied as I felt my gut wrench at the lie. I really don't know what happened, but there's that nagging feeling that all isn't well and dandy as I hoped, but I don't think Tala would be too happy to hear that.

"Besides, the sooner we get there to help them, the sooner they'll be safe," I finished, more to comfort myself than him.

"Right," he mumbled as he pushed himself away from the wall and walk quickly down the hall before turning back, "What're you waiting for? Like you said, the sooner we get there, the sooner they'll be safe."

Smiling, I jogged after him as we caught up to Kai and the rest. I noticed that Daichi and Kenny were already there. Nodding in satisfaction, I whistled quietly, getting everyone's attention.

"Make sure that once you spot them to help them immediately. Don't wait for backup because we'll help you as soon as we can. Okay, move out."

Splitting up into the previous groups of three, with Daichi and Kenny with me, Kai, Robert, and Garland, we ran off into the darkness.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Eris winced as another cut appeared on her already battered body. Toji was no better. Determination glinted in her eye as she called out another attack.

"Chione! One more time! Sheering Winds!"

The Skullz member scoffed in contempt as his gray blade dodged the attack again.

"What makes you think that if that measly attack of yours couldn't hurt me the first time that it would work the second, third, fourth, or fifth time?"

"Just wait until I get my hands on you," Eris threatened as she commanded her white blade to attack again. Once again the gray blade dodged it. She screamed in frustration. It wasn't helping that her opponent was constantly taunting her about her weak and ineffective attacks.

Yawning widely, her opponent sent her a bored look before speaking.

"I'm bored now. This isn't anymore fun. Well, I guess it's time for the both of you to die! Kilmeir! Shadow Manifestation!"

She saw the gray blade hurtling at her again and shut her eyes, waiting for the impact, but it never came. Opening her eyes slightly, she felt them widen as she saw a yellow beyblade slam into the gray blade, causing it to go off track before spinning protectively before her.

"You okay?" a gruff voice asked.

Turning around, she caught sight of Garland. Sending him a grateful smile, she nodded.

"Why don't you let me take over? Help the others look for Tamayo and Celine," he commanded as he took his position before her and Toji, "You probably have a better idea of where they might be."

Nodding gratefully she turned away only to turn back and in a serious voice said, "Beware of him. He's stronger than he looks. His special attack is Shadow Manifestation and it attacks before drawing back."

Garland grunts to let her know he heard. Smiling, she turned and ran towards Tyson, who Toji had already reached when Garland first appeared. Kenny was already there fixing up Tyson's damaged blade while Tyson looked on hopefully.

"Done!" Kenny announced as he handed the repaired blade back to Tyson, "Be more careful because those are all my spare parts. Your blade was damaged quite badly."

"Gee thanks, Chief!" Tyson beamed.

"Now that you're ready, do you mind helping us look for Tamayo? I think she and Celine were separated from us about halfway."

"Right, well let's head there now."

"Hey, wait a minute. Wasn't there an alley there?" Toji suddenly said as he remember running past it and marking it in his memory in case there was a need for a place to hide.

"They're most likely there, then," Eris concluded as the trio ran off, "Do you know where it is exactly?"

Toji nodded, "Just follow me."

As they were nearing their destination, they saw a bright, white beam light up the sky.

"If that isn't Tamayo, then I don't know what is," Toji stated. Nodding in agreement, they picked up their pace.

-------------------------------

Meanwhile Kai, Reine, and Robert had joined Garland in his fight against the Skullz member. Let's just say he wasn't fairing any better than anyone before him.

"Let it rip!" the remaining members shouted as they released their blades, trapping the hyena in the middle of the circle.

"So it takes four of you to take down me? I hate to see how many it takes to bring down Gin!" he sneered.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but he's already been brought down, only by one person too," I said coldly as the Skullz member jerked in astonishment, "And now, it's your turn!"

"Griffolyon! Wing Dagger!" Robert commanded as his magnificent purple griffon rose out of his blade. With a loud screech, the huge griffon unleashed a torrent of feathers as sharp as knives down on the hyena. The hyena howled in pain once before disintegrating back into his blade.

Snarling in disgust, the Skullz member turned to flee only to be whacked in the head by Bryan holding a metal bar.

"He's going to be out for a while," he said sadistically. Reine sweatdropped at his behavior but decided not to comment. At that moment, they caught sight of the white beam that shot to the sky.

"Tamayo!" Tala suddenly shouted as he came out of his hiding spot around the Skullz member and ran towards the light.

"Let's go," Reine commanded as she sprinted after Tala with Kai hot at her heels. Robert sighed as he and Garland took charge of taking the Skullz member to where the rest were held.

-------------------------------

As Tyson, Toji, and Eris turned the corner, they caught sight of Venom striding over to the nearly unconscious Tamayo. Tyson whipped out Dragoon and launched him immediately just as Venom looked up.

"Dragoon! Phantom Hurricane Attack!" he commanded as Eris and Toji rushed to Tamayo's side.

Venom immediately jumped back as his black blade knocked Tyson's blade away from him.

"Well look, the losers did come after all," he sneered, "Well you're too late. She probably won't make it."

Eris kneeled next to the now unconscious girl as she felt her pulse. It was slowing down and extremely weak. Panicking, she shook the unconscious girl, trying to get her to wake up.

"Come on, Tamayo. Hang in there. Don't die on us!"

Toji grasped her slowly cooling hand, his face white with tension.

"Don't show him mercy! Dragoon! Destroy him!"

With a murderous roar, the azure dragon appeared and the white blade hurtled towards Venom. A loud clang ensued as his mask was split down the middle revealing the last person they would ever expect. **(AN: I'm sure you all already figured it out. :-P Am I that predictable?)**

"Celine?" Tyson gasped in surprise. Celine snarled in reply, taking this opportunity to escape. Her black blade flew back into her hand as the poison dart frog disappeared back into its blade.

"Yes, of course it's me. Who else would know all about this stupid plan of yours?"

She tilted back her head and laughed maniacally.

"You are definitely stupider than I thought, especially that Tala. He disappoints me. All of you have made him weak, especially that stupid girl there that I took the pleasure of eliminating."

Just as she finished speaking, Tala followed by Reine and Kai ran into the alley. Tala froze at the sight in front of him. Tamayo lay unconscious, dying on the ground and his childhood friend Celine standing on the metal fence, the boundary between captivity and freedom glaring contemptuously down at him wearing the uniform of the Skullz organization. He found his mind blank as he tried to process the image before him.

"Having a hard time there processing all that information? I guess your cybernetic brain needs more enhancing," Celine sneered down on him, startling him out of his daze.

"W-why?" was all he could whisper.

"Why else but power?" Celine crowed, "You of all people should know. The overpowering rush of energy at your fingertips and stepping on all those naïve and foolish people who believe there is good in this godforsaken world."

Her tone turned bitter, "I thought you knew better. It's not too late. Come. Join us, the winning side."

She held one gloved hand out to the stunned redhead. By then, Reine was steaming.

"Don't you dare talk like you know everything there is to know in the world. I don't know how your twisted mind works, but I can tell you this. You are wrong, completely in everyway. Power isn't everything. If you have power and you're alone, what then?"

Celine merely scoffed as her violet eyes narrowed.

"A weakling like you would never know," she answered and with a swish of her cloak, she ran off into the night leaving the devastating scene behind. Her voice drifted back just before she disappeared into the shadows.

"Your companionship made Tala weak. It's all because of his weakness that those precious to you are hurt so badly. This is only the beginning, it will only get worse."

Tala stiffened as he realized that it was indeed his fault. Suddenly, Eris' scream snapped everyone out of their reverie as she began to shake Tamayo harder.

"Come on! Breathe, Tamayo! Breathe! Don't die on me!"

Tala immediately rushed to her side, worry evident on his face. Reine turned to Kai and held out her hand.

"A cell would be good," she demanded rather than asked. Kai handed over his black Katana to Reine as she quickly dialed for police and an ambulance.

"We're at an old factory about five miles out of the city. Yes, yes, okay, thank you."

Closing the phone with a snap, she handed it back to Kai and pulled out the walkie-talkie.

"Guys? We're meeting at the front. Lead all the grunts out there and we'll bring Tamayo. Celine isn't coming. I'll tell you guys later. The police and ambulance is on the way. They'll be in about five minutes. Hurry your arses up."

Turning it off without waiting for a reply, she headed out of the alley. Kai looked after her uncertainly and frowned.

"She's probably blaming herself," he heard Eris say softly next to him as Tala picked up Tamayo bridal style and followed Reine out.

"She must know it's not her fault," he replied. Eris only sighed.

"She knows, but it doesn't stop her from blaming herself anyway. You better comfort her tonight. I have a feeling she's not far from a breakdown."

Nodding, Kai walked out with Eris and Toji lagging behind.

* * *

**Reine's POV**

I watched silently as all the Skullz members were lead away and Tamayo was carried into the ambulance, it's red lights flickering staining the white snow like blood. I felt someone come up behind me and hug me. I sighed and leaned back as I watched a white Tala climb into the ambulance with Tamayo. They have to keep her on an oxygen mask. Apparently, she inhaled too much toxic fumes.

_'Damn that Celine. I knew she was bad news.'_

I bit my lips so hard that I felt the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.

"Stop that, it's not your fault," I heard as Kai's chest rumbled behind me.

"I know, but-"

"-you can't stop blaming yourself. Yeah, I heard from Eris," he finished for me.

"Traitor," I mumbled under my breath.

Kai chuckled before holding me tighter.

"I'm never letting you go. They'll never hurt you."

I smirked at his words.

"Who was it that kicked your ass at the tournament without breaking a sweat?" I teased as I felt some stress ease.

"Hn," Kai grunted, apparently annoyed.

Turning my head to look up at him, I smiled.

"Thanks Kai," I whispered as I relaxed in his hold.

* * *

**The Next Day (Still Reine's POV)**

"Well her condition is still unstable, but since she made it through the night, not without difficulties, she'll probably be fine," the doctor announced as we huddled outside Tamayo's room, anxious. Tala was the one in the worst shape. He didn't get a wink of sleep as he sat beside her bed all night.

"Let's get more coffee," I whispered to Kai as the doctor walked off, "It looks like Tala will need it."

"Yeah," he answered as we headed down the hall towards the elevators.

The doors opened with a soft ding. We stepped inside as the soft music washed over us.

"I'm glad that was over, but there's still Durby's sister we have to look for during Winter break," I sighed as I leaned against the carpeted wall.

"We'll worry about that when it's time," Kai answered quietly as he stood next to me, "Now, we need to focus on Tamayo's recovery. Mr. Dickenson said he'll transfer her to a Japanese hospital at the end of the week if she still doesn't wake up."

"Yeah, but I don't think that's everything," I muttered tiredly, "There's still Kael. I never managed to find his partner before the end of the trip. Do you think we'll encounter him again?"

"You're worrying too much again," he answered simply as I glared at him.

"Gee Kai, thanks for being so understanding," I said sarcastically as he smirked.

"That's what I'm here for, after all."

With another soft ding, the elevator doors opened.

"Now let's get that coffee."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm sure you weren't expecting an e-mail to pop up saying I updated. :-) DON'T KILL ME! –ducks from all thrown objects– I'm so sorry for not updating for…um…nearly half a year. X( I'm just really busy! Well, I hope this chapter is enough to sate your hungry appetites. ;-) Also, I'm working on a Christmasy tangent from this story. It'll be an oneshot. I guess that's equivalent to me uploading two chapters. Anyway, this chapter was sort of a rush job to put down my ideas before they go "poof". If there are grammatical errors, please ignore them. Thanks!

Well, there's a twist in the plot (that most of you knew was going to happen). :-( You guys are sharp, or I'm predictable --; but I like the former better so let's go with that. xD

I'll try to update again this week, but no promises. I've learned that since I barely had enough time to update this chapter. I have yet to finish my History Fair Project. I'm too busy listening to the new Evanescence CD I got for Christmas. Hehehehe…

YAY! I have 100 reviews! –squeals– Thanks a bunch to all of you that review! –glares at those that don't–

**DaCow Takao – Sorry! I don't know that band or that song. Send me the lyrics and I'll probably add it in my story. ;D**

A million thanks to **AnimeCrazy88, soldier4Christ, DaCow Takao, Sakura-Moonlight, Distant Storm, SweetPlum, Ms. Controversy, whyamidoinghtis01, **and last but not least **Musee.Picasso** for your reviews:-D If I forget to mention you, I'm terribly sorry! Some of my e-mails got deleted by my stupid account and I don't know if some of those were reviews. Dx

If any of you have questions, feel free to e-mail me or sent me a PM. :)

Please **R&R!**

Rand-chan


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